Moms to Be Part 3

[justhat]

I want to be done. I am so ready to be done. I want to be able to sleep on my stomach. I want to be able to walk like a normal person. I want to be able to take a shower in the morning without throwing up. I want to have an appetite again. Blah....

I so feel for you! At least your absolute end date is only a week away. I really hope you go sooner though, for your own sanity!

And FWIW, other than the shower issue, I am so with you on all that. Oh, and the appetite thing as I have definitely held my own with eating since the worst of the MS wore off. I was still pretty nauseous throughout, and the last couple of weeks have been pretty bad sick-wise, but yet I can still shovel brownies into my mouth like nobody's business... And my husband had the nerve to tell me when we went out for breakfast last week, "You know, you do not eat very much at all when you're not pregnant, but now you can totally finish off a plate." Uh, thanks?


Jenn - Good luck with the ultrasound today! I hope you get some more photos to share.

Hulagirl - The shower pics are great and you look great! The cake saying was super cute too.

EmALee - My friends were in WDW when you were and looking at their pictures tells me just how freezing it was down there! Glad you had a good trip overall though! I gotta tell you though, my kid is almost 6yo and still uses a stroller in WDW and we live in a city where we walk all the time, so you might just be able to get back down there before your little one turns 4yo.

Nette - I think you bring up some good points about the c-section vs VBAC. I know I would have a lot of concerns even if it had been 8 years as well.

Christina - Honestly, if I were in your position, and given what you said in your post, I think I would plan the c-section for when you are, just after your due date, but if you go into labor before then give the VBAC a try. Of course I can say this having never had a c-section, but try to go into the labor with an open plan of c-section vs VBAC so that hopefully it won't be too stressful if you end up needing the c-section.

Both of my kids were 'almost' c-sections, and while I realize that doesn't count for anything, I know I was sort of annoyed, with my 1st anyway, that I would have spent all those hours laboring and pushing only to have her cut out anyway. Kinda made me feel like I had wasted all that time in labor for nothing. In the end, forceps were enough to get her out, but that was literally the last attempt before we were heading to the OR.

The other birth would have been an emergency c-section with me under general anesthesia (b/c of time constraints and they couldn't get me into position for an epi cause my son's heart rate kept dropping) and no one there to see his birth. I could rant about how my husband made the delivery by literally 3 minutes, but I'll spare you all from that anger vent (and yes, 3.5 years later I am still angered over it).

Anyway, I do remember thinking with both kids that while I would have been fine with a c-section, the not knowing about it in advance part is what would have really thrown me. Getting to that point in labor where you sort of expect to be able to push your baby out and then not getting to do it would have definitely been a lot to handle emotionally for me, so I can imagine that it was for you (and Patsy and everyone else).

All that said, the v births I had were not all I expected either. Patsy, I remember when I first joined this thread and you had Lucas you mentioned not getting to hold him all slimy and stuff. I didn't get that with either of my kids and felt sorta cheated in that respect as well. 1st kid had meconium and was rushed off to the peds team, not allowed to cry/breathe till she was fully suctioned so she didn't aspirate. 2nd kid was preterm so, again, whisked away to the peds team. And then they noticed he had a hypospadias so that detained him longer for whatever reason.

And with the 1st kid, I was so numb from the epi that I didn't notice one of my nerves was getting crushed/damaged, which left me with permanent diminished sensation on my outer thighs and knees. It was *really* bad for the first couple of months after my daughter was born and gradually feeling returned, but now, 6 years later when I think it's safe to say nothing else is changing, I still have slight numbness, which is slightly irritating. If I did just get the c-section from the start, odds are that wouldn't have happened at all.


So anyway, I'm done rambling, but my point, if you can see one through the lengthy babbling, is that it sounds like the VBAC is important to you so give it a try. But at the same time, don't feel like you missed out on something cause you never know what the v-birth would have been like had it worked out the 1st time around anyway. My first wasn't so great and I sort of regret a lot of what took place. 2nd one was pretty smooth though and I already feel like with this kid, if it's anything less than my 2nd I will have feeling of disappointment or whatever, even though none of that stuff is in my control.



ETA: Oh yeah, and we ate lunch at Chipotle (for those who have that chain) since my last 2 kids were born a day after me eating Mexican food. My husband must be desperate to stop my complaining cause even he bought into the suspicion that the food had something to do with it. And he *never* listens to old wives tales. So we'll see what this brings! According to my ticker (though I think it's a day off) tomorrow will be the exact gestation when my 1st was born. So if this kid goes past that it will be the longest one, which I am not seeing as a good thing at this point!!

 

[Piecey]

My issue wasn't that I didn't get to hold him, it was that I didn't get to see him.

 

[justhat]

My issue wasn't that I didn't get to hold him, it was that I didn't get to see him.

I didn't either since they both had to go to the peds team, and that was, and still is years later, disappointing. My husband did get to see my son, but no one was allowed near my daughter, and not hearing her cry, though they did warn me in advance, was distressing.

So I totally get that, and it would have annoyed me more cause in your case, it likely wouldn't have happened other than with the c-section (as I don't remember any problems with Lucas). With me, no matter how they came out I wouldn't have gotten to see them or hold them cause of the circumstances.

 

[BabyTigger99]

Tonight I will have my last dance classes to teach before Elliott is born. I am going to mostly observe, and just watch my assistant, although I do need to teach a few new moves to get two of the songs finished. Monday is my hard night of teaching. Two poms classes and an advanced jazz class. Luckily, tomorrow nights classes are cancelled, because of parent teacher conferences (I teach for our city's park and rec department, and our classes are held in local elementary schools), so I can make a Cub Scout meeting that I have. And after that, my week is free, so anytime Elliott wants to make an appearance is fine with me!!

 

[TarzansKat]

Hi, everyone! Sorry I've been MIA, but my nesting instinct seems to have taken over a bit early.

My mother came over today and helped me clean out. I'd already weeded out clothes and had three garbage bags to donate. We tackled my son's room and our niche in the living room. My husband assembled the bookcase I bought and now my son has access to all his puzzles, board games, etc.

I liked how it looked so much, I went back to the store and bought two more, another for the living room and another for my son's room. In my son's room, all his books will go on it, and hopefully some more toys that are currently in his walk in closet.

Mom and I figured out how to reconfigure the rooms (first ours, then my sons eventually) to put the crib in so it feels good to have a game plan. I can't organize baby clothes yet because I won't know what we're having until March 9, so I'm not going to worry about it.

My next big thing is convincing my husband to get rid of our beast of an entertainment unit and upgrading to a flat screen TV. The second bookcase, for the living room, is to put all our DVDs on, and I'm hoping I can convince my DH that all the Nintendo gaming systems he owns (none of which he uses but the WII) can go with all his old games into a rubbermaid in our storage unit. Getting rid of the monstrosity of an entertainment unit would give us SO much more space in our living room.

I cleaned out a bureau in my son's room for baby things, and when his books go onto his new bookcase a whole other small shelving unit will be open for baby toys, so I'm feeling pretty good right now.

Tired, but good.

 

[Ciciwoowoo]

Today was my 36 week checkup... I am going every week to the OB. I found out that I tested positive for the strep test they gave me. I am going to have a C section so it will not be an issue as long as my water doesn't break. Its still another thing to worry about though! Tell me...if they know I have this and they give you antibiotics if your water breaks, why don't they just give them to you ahead of time to get rid of it?

I know... I'm nuts!

 

[TarzansKat]

I've never had any experience with that, so hopefully someone else can weigh in but I just want to wish you the best of luck.

 

[Piecey]

I think it's because they try not to give the baby anything that could hurt them.

I was treated for gallbladder issues (completely different, I realize) but they ran every medication they gave me by my OB first. She said it's because not all drugs have been tested on how they cross the placenta.

I thought GBS wasn't harmful to us? I might be wrong but I thought you only got antibiotics if you were going to have a natural birth.

 

[Gabes_mommy]

Hey everyone, sorry I haven't been posting. I have been reading everything though. My morning sickness has really taken hold. I am nauseus pretty much all the time and I am still sick with a sinus infection. This is day 16 being sick.

I have a quick question for everyone. The last few days I have been freezing cold. With my DS I was hot all the time, so being cold is making me very nervous. Has anyone else been cold while pregnant?

I have my first appt with the high risk doctor today so I will ask about it, but I am pretty scared.

 

[KiKi Mouse]

I usually run colder than most people. I was really cold last week and it was because I was coming down with a cold.
I have never heard of that being something to worry about...so don't

How come you are "high risk"?

I am too because of GD and I am not happy with that stamp on my forehead but I do like the extra monitoring.

 

[DMickey28]

justthat - Thanks for the post. I didn't know your DS was born with Hypospadias. Alexander was too. He had his surgery to correct it when he was 11 months old. He still has issues with it and I wonder if it's part of why potty training is not even on his radar. I didn't get to see him until close to 7pm after the c-section and he was born at 1:30PM.

Kat - Sounds like things are coming together. I am *almost* done painting the nursery and then can finally get the furniture in there and organize what else I need.

Gabe's Mommy - I was always very cold in the beginning of this pregnancy too. It's been better now towards the end but I remember wondering if it was ok in the beginning.

 

[hulagirl87]

Hey everyone, sorry I haven't been posting. I have been reading everything though. My morning sickness has really taken hold. I am nauseus pretty much all the time and I am still sick with a sinus infection. This is day 16 being sick.

I have a quick question for everyone. The last few days I have been freezing cold. With my DS I was hot all the time, so being cold is making me very nervous. Has anyone else been cold while pregnant?

I have my first appt with the high risk doctor today so I will ask about it, but I am pretty scared.

I'm sorry you are so sick! I hope that you get better soon

Regarding the cold thing... I am always cold and I remember reading that if anything your body temperature rises and you are hot a lot of the time later in pregnancy. I haven't encountered that at all. I'm still always cold, some days shivering. It doesn't help that it's winter I don't know if it is more of a concern, but it's good that you are going to check with the doctor. It must be the day for doctor's appointments as I have a checkup today as well Good luck!

 

[Gabes_mommy]

I usually run colder than most people. I was really cold last week and it was because I was coming down with a cold.
I have never heard of that being something to worry about...so don't

How come you are "high risk"?

I am too because of GD and I am not happy with that stamp on my forehead but I do like the extra monitoring.

I am high risk because I have had 3 miscarriages. I am torn about whether I want to stick with the high risk doctor though. I figure I'll go to the appt today and see what I think. What kind of extra monitoring do you get?

Gabe's Mommy - I was always very cold in the beginning of this pregnancy too. It's been better now towards the end but I remember wondering if it was ok in the beginning.

Thank you so much! That is very comforting.

I'm sorry you are so sick! I hope that you get better soon

Regarding the cold thing... I am always cold and I remember reading that if anything your body temperature rises and you are hot a lot of the time later in pregnancy. I haven't encountered that at all. I'm still always cold, some days shivering. It doesn't help that it's winter I don't know if it is more of a concern, but it's good that you are going to check with the doctor. It must be the day for doctor's appointments as I have a checkup today as well Good luck!

Thank you!!! Good luck at your appt today too. I'm so glad to hear that I am not the only one who is/was cold.

 

[Nette]

Hey everyone, sorry I haven't been posting. I have been reading everything though. My morning sickness has really taken hold. I am nauseus pretty much all the time and I am still sick with a sinus infection. This is day 16 being sick.

I have a quick question for everyone. The last few days I have been freezing cold. With my DS I was hot all the time, so being cold is making me very nervous. Has anyone else been cold while pregnant?

I have my first appt with the high risk doctor today so I will ask about it, but I am pretty scared.

I'm cold all the time. I know what you mean about being hot with the last pregnancy. I get where if I even have a glass of water it will send me into uncontrollable shivers until I put a coat on. I'm chalking it up to my extremely low blood pressure.

ETA: Wanted to add that if you're still feeling nauseated, that's a really good sign that things are going as they should. Try not to worry too much.

 

[justhat]

justthat - Thanks for the post. I didn't know your DS was born with Hypospadias. Alexander was too. He had his surgery to correct it when he was 11 months old. He still has issues with it and I wonder if it's part of why potty training is not even on his radar. I didn't get to see him until close to 7pm after the c-section and he was born at 1:30PM.

I really think that's something that they should work on, getting moms to see their babies sooner than that. I think that's what is most distressing and causes mixed emotions about their birth and such.

With Henry I was lucky in that I had a very easy delivery so though he was taken right to the NICU and not released (then sent to well baby nursery, with a NICU nurse for hours ), at least I was physically able to walk and see him. I wasn't allowed to hold him or anything, but they got me a chair and I could sit and look at him in the bassinet. Then he was moved to an isolette and I couldn't take him out other than for feedings, so I had to hold my hand in the little plastic window to touch him.

The birth I had with my daughter though, no way would I have been able to walk to the nursery that night. As it was, with her, I didn't see her till about 4am and she was born at 7:30pm. Joey was able to get some photos of her while they suctioned, but then she was under observation for meconium aspiration for hours. Luckily she was fine, but not being able to see her and actually know that was rough.

And so I know that there are unavoidable circumstances, mine included, but really, I think there should be some attempt made to let the mom at least see the baby for a few minutes before they are separated.


And yes, Henry had a hypospadias too. He had surgery for it at 7 months old and other than some issues I have with the scarring, I think he's overall okay with it. My husband doesn't seem as concerned by the scarring as I do, but it just kinda bugs me for some reason. He is potty trained, but I will say that for a long time when he was first trained he would leak pee a lot. My daughter never did that so I don't know if it's cause of his surgery or a boy thing, and I guess I never will. And it took ages to fully train him. Again, don't know if it's cause he's a boy and I have heard they are harder to train, or if it was specific to him.

What just thrilled me about it was his urologist, whom we had seen since he was 3 weeks old, developed spinal cord issues shortly before Henry was due for his surgery and he could no longer operate. So they wanted to postpone the surgery for months. Well we had initially planned it so that my husband would be able to take the day off for the surgery and if we had to wait months that likely wouldn't be possible. So after much complaining they got us in with another surgeon, but for just days after we were making these plans. So we went from having the surgery 3 weeks out cancelled to surgery in 3 days, the day after my daughter's 3rd birthday party.

Well we take that slot, having never met the urologist nor knowing anything about him, and I take Henry to a friend's party that Saturday and my daughter's on Sunday. We get to the hospital at 6am Monday and hear him cough. 2.5 hours later they finally got us into a pre-op room and heard him cough and asked what we wanted to do. He was literally fine till that morning so we said to go ahead with it. Bad mistake. He had a bad time coming out of the anesthesia, his intubation tube was covered in green mucus, and he was so, so sick in the days that followed. Like it wasn't bad enough to look at his catherized/cut up boy area every diaper change (and deal with the 2 diaper thing), but then to hear him chronically cough, which must have hurt his incisions and stuff, ugh, well let's just say I felt like mother of the year.

I actually asked at the ultrasound, before we knew this one was a girl, if they could see stuff like that cause I really needed to be prepared in advance if I were going to have to go through that again.

Gabesmommy - The cold thing I would guess is just related to hormone levels and probably nothing to worry about.

I don't know about Kiki, but I was 'high-risk' with this baby because my son was preterm and macrosomic (I think that's the term, he was large, over 8lbs at 36 weeks). For me that meant I got a lot of extra ultrasounds that I never got with my 1st 2 kids.

Tigger - My daughter takes jazz this year. Her class is 5/6yos though, so I am sure it is well below the level of what you teach.

Tarzan - Glad to hear you have your room situations worked out for now. That must alleviate a lot of stress on that front.



While I have a lot of things I should be doing today, I have such little energy at the moment that I don't want to do any of them. I don't have to get my kids till 4pm so maybe I should nap or something. Or maybe figure out some sort of plan for dinner.

ETA: My daughter's tooth fairy box just arrived from UPS. Now, if only any of her teeth looked remotely loose we could actually use it! She likes alligators a lot, sleeps with this old stuffed alligator that used to be mine, so her box has an alligator on it and says "I need the tooth fairy!" I guess the benefit of her not having loose teeth is that I can save it for her birthday.

 

[Piecey]

I'm cold a lot... I can't have ice in my drinks because it makes me shiver.

I wasn't this way with Lucas, but I was also further along at this point in the winter. I didn't even wear a coat most of last winter.. DH thought I was nuts but it felt just fine to me.

 

[DMickey28]

justthat - you know, it NEVER crossed my mind with the LO if he would have it too. I never even thought about it.

 

[KiKi Mouse]

What kind of extra monitoring do you get?

I was seeing an RE before we got pregnant and he monitored us for the first trimester then sent me on my way. From there I went to my midwife whom I have had for 4 out of 5 pregnancies now. Two ended in m/c.
I had genetic counselling and a nuchal u/s at 12 weeks..."due to my age".
Had the usual 20 week anatomical u/s but it was done at the fetal assessment clinic which is more detailed.
Then nothing much til 28 weeks when I did the GD screen and failed. Now I am considered "high risk" and have to go to the diabetes clinic once a week.
My midwife has to send me to an OB for a consult.
I go for regular fetal assessments now to watch baby's size.
So far I have been able to control the diabetes with diet and have worked hard doing it. Diabetes doctor said yesterday that if I keep it up I should be okay until the end of this pregnancy and will be able to stay off of insulin.
Not sure how the GD is going to affect future birthing plans etc. One week at a time...but Plan A was a home birth. Even if I have to go to a hospital I will be okay if it is not for an induction/c-section/medicalized birth. That situation caused me a LOT of stress at first and I was literally sick with worry. Now I will see what this OB says and just try and take one day/week at a time.

 

[justhat]

Kiki - I had the 1st trimester nuchal scan/blood work done with this baby and my son and I am 29yo now and was 25yo with my son. My OB would have ordered it with my 1st as well, but it wasn't done then, I guess, cause with my son they said it was new. I did have a 1st trimester ultrasound/nuchal scan with her, but not the bloodwork that goes with it.

But my OB is just sorta like that, a 'fact gatherer', as he calls himself. I get pretty much any testing done that he suggests just for the sake of knowing I guess.

DMickey - You know what made me think of hypospadias with this one? When I went for the 1st trimester screening, I met with a genetic counselor beforehand, which I had never done. Anyway, my other kids were with me and she asked about any congenital issues, hereditary problems, etc. I actually only thought of my daughter's kidney reflux at the time, which she said they can sorta see on ultrasounds, but that a lot of babies have it in utero then outgrow it, etc. So she asked if it were just my daughter and I said yes, but then thought of Henry's hypospadias. Of course at 11 weeks it was too early to see anything like that anyway, but I guess they would have looked when I went back at 19 weeks or whenever, but since it's a girl I didn't think to ask about whether or not they would have been able to see it.

 

[Gabes_mommy]

I'm cold all the time. I know what you mean about being hot with the last pregnancy. I get where if I even have a glass of water it will send me into uncontrollable shivers until I put a coat on. I'm chalking it up to my extremely low blood pressure.

ETA: Wanted to add that if you're still feeling nauseated, that's a really good sign that things are going as they should. Try not to worry too much.

Thank you!

Gabesmommy - The cold thing I would guess is just related to hormone levels and probably nothing to worry about.

I don't know about Kiki, but I was 'high-risk' with this baby because my son was preterm and macrosomic (I think that's the term, he was large, over 8lbs at 36 weeks). For me that meant I got a lot of extra ultrasounds that I never got with my 1st 2 kids.

While I have a lot of things I should be doing today, I have such little energy at the moment that I don't want to do any of them. I don't have to get my kids till 4pm so maybe I should nap or something. Or maybe figure out some sort of plan for dinner.

ETA: My daughter's tooth fairy box just arrived from UPS. Now, if only any of her teeth looked remotely loose we could actually use it! She likes alligators a lot, sleeps with this old stuffed alligator that used to be mine, so her box has an alligator on it and says "I need the tooth fairy!" I guess the benefit of her not having loose teeth is that I can save it for her birthday.

Thank you! That tooth fairy box sounds cute.

I'm cold a lot... I can't have ice in my drinks because it makes me shiver.

I wasn't this way with Lucas, but I was also further along at this point in the winter. I didn't even wear a coat most of last winter.. DH thought I was nuts but it felt just fine to me.

I remember my whole last pregnancy saying, "Is it hot in here or is it just me?" and it was always just me.

I was seeing an RE before we got pregnant and he monitored us for the first trimester then sent me on my way. From there I went to my midwife whom I have had for 4 out of 5 pregnancies now. Two ended in m/c.
I had genetic counselling and a nuchal u/s at 12 weeks..."due to my age".
Had the usual 20 week anatomical u/s but it was done at the fetal assessment clinic which is more detailed.
Then nothing much til 28 weeks when I did the GD screen and failed. Now I am considered "high risk" and have to go to the diabetes clinic once a week.
My midwife has to send me to an OB for a consult.
I go for regular fetal assessments now to watch baby's size.
So far I have been able to control the diabetes with diet and have worked hard doing it. Diabetes doctor said yesterday that if I keep it up I should be okay until the end of this pregnancy and will be able to stay off of insulin.
Not sure how the GD is going to affect future birthing plans etc. One week at a time...but Plan A was a home birth. Even if I have to go to a hospital I will be okay if it is not for an induction/c-section/medicalized birth. That situation caused me a LOT of stress at first and I was literally sick with worry. Now I will see what this OB says and just try and take one day/week at a time.

I worked with an RE to conceive my DS too. I loved getting to stay at the RE's office until my 2nd trimester. They took such good care of the baby and I.