Pregnancy Thread.....Thursday, 1/13

[metroames]

Mrs. Sarah.............Tanner Christian..............Born 11/12/04
ChristinaK..............Joshua Vincent................Born 11/18/04
karatejen...............Murphy Archie.................Born 11/27/04
Surfdol...................Catherine Emily Jean.......Born 12/21/04
BrattyChelle...........Elana Marie.....................Born 12/23/04
GetNSlim................Jonathan Charles............Born 12/31/04
Kay&Lydi................????????????.............. ....Born 01/06/05
Shandril105............Elizabeth Skye................Born 01/10/05

Viki............................W38............... .01/22/05......Girl
Nyanchan..................W38................01/31/05......Girl
metroames................W37................02/08/05......Boy
MadameX...................W37................02/09/05......Girl
JennPayton................W31................03/13/05......Girl
blueyedgrl..................W30................03/26/05
kimism........................W30................0 3/26/05......Girl
Heather123................W29................03/30/05......Boy
shelly..........................W29............... .04/02/05......Boy?
Sassy Frass................W28................04/07/05......Girl

Marthad......................W27................04/11/05
Dar20..........................W26................ 04/16/05.....Girl
Jefinner.......................W26................ 04/16/05
GoJackets....................W24...............05/03/05
mom2twoboys.............W24...............05/07/05
chels_hoff....................W23...............05/15/05......Boy
Ravenly74................... W23...............05/15/05......Boy
Denise85.....................W22...............05/22/05......Boy
tekla............................W22.............. .05/23/05
azktycat.......................W20...............0 5/30/05
michigangrad...............W20................06/01/05
Vixendrop....................W17................06/18/05
naerenaenae...............W17................06/18/05
ChristieJ.......................W17............... .06/19/05
Alibarbar......................W17................ 06/20/05
jehcekah......................W17................0 6/22/05
gilbabe75.....................W16................0 6/25/05
Miss Gigl.......................W16................06/26/05
rooney..........................W16............... .06/30/05
Acutepenguin...............W14.................07/10/05
allibaba........................W14............... ..07/12/05....Twins
kclynn...........................W13.............. ...07/18/05

Tbugs...........................W12............... ..07/21/05
Mandyhoward..............W11.................07/30/05
SmileyAmy....................W10.................. 08/08/05
takahirakoshino...........W9...................08/15/05

Green12........................................... ...Trying!
2BFitHourglass.................................... Trying!
lil miss.............................................. ...Trying!
Nicole133......................................... ....Trying!
jeepifer.......................................... ......Trying!
StrawberryGirl.................................... ..Trying!
AnnieO............................................ .....Trying!
speckle........................................... ......Trying!
Alissaliz......................................... ........Trying!
Aediekins......................................... .....Trying!

[metroames]

Good morning ladies!

Woowee! It's gonna get cold here. The low temp this weekend could reach 20 below with nasty, nasty wind chills. Too bad I have to work all weekend....it'd be nice to hibernate indoors and snuggle with my sweetie.

Question for the "already" mommies.....what sanitary pads did you buy for after the birth when you got home. I always hear of the story of when my dad had to go to the store to buy this gigantic box of huge pads for my mom because she didn't know she'd need them before hand. Of course he was sooo embarassed. Well, all's I found at Walmart were the long, heavy overnite pads with wings in a "normal" size package. I asked the pharmacist if there was something else I was overlooking and she said that those should work. Maybe I need to go someplace else to find "special" pads? Or will the overnite ones work just fine and they don't even make "special" pads?

Well, work ain't too bad tonight. Although it sure is getting to be a pain to get up and go pee all the time. I've got so much pressure down south all the time now, that when I feel like I have to go and stand up I then feel like I should have went 20 minutes ago! One of these times I'm gonna have an accident.....I'm contemplating wearing sanitary pads just in case I do, and to minimize any damage if my water should break early.

Everyone have a great day!

Ames

[karatejen]

Ames~I bought the Walmart brand overnites, supers with wings, and the thin maxi with wings. I never used the overnites. I used the supers for maybe the first week home and then switched to the thin maxi with wings (little green pouch 18ct) for the next 4 weeks. Yep, I bled for over 5 weeks . The thin maxi with wings were nice because they provided a large coverage area but were very thin. I am now stuck with overnites and am comtemplating taking them back to the store because they are unopened. Hope that helps.

[Marthad]

oh damn! I just lost my whole post!! Here we go again...

Morning ladies!

Ames, Someone here told me to steal as many maternity pads as possible from the hospital. I'm all for the envorioment, but they go overboard here. None of the tampons have applicators (eww) and all the pads are tiny. Someone also told me I would never be able to wear a tampon again because I'll get so stretched out!! Kegels kegels kegels!!!

Meg, good luck with the GTT results. That stuff was nauseating...

Dena, I'm not taking anything additional beyond my perscribed extra iron. Over the holidays, I read that fish and fish oils help to make big babies--so I'm actually trying to avoid it. Give me a tall skinny one!!! LOL

Kelley, its great that you have the nursery done, I'm starting to stress about ours. I need to order the furniture, and DH keeps saying wait until the end of the month (they're having a Jan sale) but then it wont get here until mid march, which just seems to be cutting it close!

Michelle, that's great that Elana is doing so well! Definitely time for more pics!!

Shandril, thanks for the advice on the epis, I'm definitely going to try to avoid one! It sounds like you had a good birth experience, Congrats!! Can't wait to see the pics

Acutepenguin, what country are you in? I feel like I'm in a brain fog...

Hi Dar, Glad your trip was nice and short, but I can imagine how tiring it must be. Take a nap! Now I'm dreaming of Ocean Reef (The club we go to on Key Largo) and floating around snorkeling and lounging by the pool. Hopefully we can take the baby next fall or Christmas.

The midwife appointment went really well yesterday, iron and blood sugar levels were good, baby's heart rate was good, and my tummy measured spot on. I can't believe how fast time is going!

Has anyone had a problem staying OUT of ketosis? I've been eating low carb with a little fruit, and last night I even had white bread and half a Kit Kat, and this morning I was in ketosis! And it only took me one day of eating right--with fruit and veggies--to get in the pink after a very sugary Saturday. Either my metabolism is way up or pregnancy is affecting the strips?

Hope eveyrone has a great day!

[BrattyChelle]

Ames....I'm with Jen on the pads although I did use the thicker overnights due to how much I was bleeding. It's 3 weeks today that Elana's been born and I'm still bleeding.

I'll try to get some pics up soon....I'm sure we'll have some as my mom flies in today.

[karatejen]

Originally posted by BrattyChelle
Ames....I'm with Jen on the pads although I did use the thicker overnights due to how much I was bleeding. It's 3 weeks today that Elana's been born and I'm still bleeding.

Ames~I think everyone's amount and duration of bleeding is different, that is why I bought 3 different sizes before I even delivered. Some of my friends said they needed to wear a mattress, while my mom said she didn't remember really bleeding that much. I didn't want to be having to go myself or send someone to the store. I figured I would keep an assortment at the house, and with it being the Walmart brand, it wasn't too expensive to buy a package of each size .

[metroames]

Thanks girls for the help on the pads. I think I'll get the overnite ones and then if I'm not bleeding much then I can have my MIL go get me some different ones....she'll be staying with us the first week to help out. Maybe I'll have to steal a few from the hospital too if I can.

I guess I just assumed they had special pads out there for the lochia based on my dad's story...he was probably just exaggerating.

Ames

[BrattyChelle]

Originally posted by metroames
Maybe I'll have to steal a few from the hospital too if I can.

That's what I did!!! Surprisingly they used thinner pads than I bought myself. Kind of like the regular Always thin mini's without wings. So I snagged 'em up.

May be TMI...but even with my excessive bleeding issues they still used those so you should be fine For me worst part was having to use them period vs. tampons....brought back nightmares/fears of elementary school days again

[Dar20]

Hey, girls, thanks for the reminder on the pads. That's something I never would have thought to make sure I have on hand. I use pads instead of tampons, so I have pads at home already, but they are thin Kotex ones. I should probably get a few with wings just to be sure. I hate tampons with a passion, and have probably only used them once or twice in my life when I had to (like for the beach or something).

Chels, forgot to mention that I called about childbirthing classes. At our hospital it's $50/couple. Are you going through the hospital for yours? Then again, you are in CA.. things are always more $$ out there.

Dena.. last night I said that I don't take anything but my prenatal.. and I'm such an idiot. As I sit here at chew on my Viactiv. I have one in the morning since I am not a milk drinker and am always worried about my calcium intake. I also take chewable FiberChoice tablets to help me out.

Martha.. LOL... Ketosis? What's that? I have to admit, these past two weeks I've made quite an effort to eat better. I've been bringing sandwiches (on lc bread) to work and eating alot more fruit. But there's no way I'm in ketosis.. I haven't checked. It could be the hormones messing it up. It takes a few days to get back to ketosis, doesn't it?

Ok, my QOTD: DH had a concern he shared with me this morning that I hadn't thought about, and I think I'll post this on the mommy thread, too. He's concerned that, post-delivery, I could possibly be immobile for a few days, and he plans to return to classes ASAP. Which I expect him to do, of course. He won't be done with classes until May. He's worried that he'll leave the house for 4-6 hours for classes/homework, and I'll be abandoned with baby, two crazy dogs, and no way to help myself. I can understand his concern, and it's a possiblity if I have to have a c-section or something that I'll be in quite a bit of pain. Already mommies.. what did you do? Did this concern you?

I guess the concern is, if we have parents wait a week to come down, that week could be rough on me.

[GoJackets]

Originally posted by Dar20


I guess the concern is, if we have parents wait a week to come down, that week could be rough on me.

Would you folks be staying with you or at a hotel?

Can he get an exception for school where he works from home? Maybe go to the campus for assignments and communicate by email? I went to a small campus where they were always willing to work with us.....would he have any options like that?

[BrattyChelle]

Dar....it's a legitimate concern. I can only speak from my own experience, but as a woman who had a c section at 300 lbs., I was fine when I came home post surgery. Sore, and a little slower than usual...but I was able to do what was needed. Had Elana been home with us, I would have been fine caring for her for up to 8 hours alone.

The hospital won't even discharge you until you've completed certain tasks alone so they know you're capable (showering, walking, etc). In fact you'd be surprised how quickly they promote you doing these things to help speed up your recovery.

With a csection there are a few more restrictions post birth such as no driving for 2 weeks, no lifting more than what the baby weighs, careful when bending over (different for each hospital/doctor I'm sure)....but they were not things that would have inhibited my caring for the baby alone.

If you're worried...do you have a friend who could possibly pop in on you while he's away if you find you need it?

Take my advice...it's nice to have people to help....but I had inlaws here when Elana should have been and they drove me batty. Sometimes you'd be shocked how much you can do when you have to

[Dar20]

Originally posted by GoJackets
Would you folks be staying with you or at a hotel?

Can he get an exception for school where he works from home? Maybe go to the campus for assignments and communicate by email? I went to a small campus where they were always willing to work with us.....would he have any options like that?

I told DH I don't wany anyone staying at the house. If you get American Baby mag, there was actually an article about it in the last issue. It suggests having family stay at a hotel, so they can get a good night's sleep and be able to help out during the day refreshed. (It also had some other good tips about having assigned tasks for them to do so they are not trying to do everything at once, or nothing at all.)

I just don't want the added stress of playing hostess.

I'm not sure about the exception. He told all of his teachers about the due date. A couple of them, teachers he has had before, will be willing to work with him a little bit. Another one says to him, "well, you have the attendance policy." ******! LOL... I don't want to get in the way of his school.. I told him that going to school is his job until May 10. After that, he gets baby duty. Anyways, he's going to need a chance to get some homework done with some peace and quiet.

[Dar20]

Originally posted by BrattyChelle
Dar....it's a legitimate concern. I can only speak from my own experience, but as a woman who had a c section at 300 lbs., I was fine when I came home post surgery. Sore, and a little slower than usual...but I was able to do what was needed. Had Elana been home with us, I would have been fine caring for her for up to 8 hours alone.

The hospital won't even discharge you until you've completed certain tasks alone so they know you're capable (showering, walking, etc). In fact you'd be surprised how quickly they promote you doing these things to help speed up your recovery.

Oh, cool, thanks Michelle. I'll have to pass that on to DH.. I think it will help him feel better. I feel that, if he's gone for 4-6 hours, I should be fine. I can camp out in bed if I have to with baby nearby. I should be able to get through a morning without him.

Where did you deliver?

[BrattyChelle]

Originally posted by Dar20
Oh, cool, thanks Michelle. I'll have to pass that on to DH.. I think it will help him feel better. I feel that, if he's gone for 4-6 hours, I should be fine. I can camp out in bed if I have to with baby nearby. I should be able to get through a morning without him.

Where did you deliver?

I delivered at Bayfront Medical here in St. Petersburg.

Definitely on the camping out. That was our plan for the 2 days I would have been alone with Elana. That was why we bought the Graco Pack 'n Play with the bassinet/changing table and put it in our room. That way the only thing I would have had to really move around for were her bottles.

LOL Where was that article when my inlaws were here??? I'll have to admit though, my mother flies in today and is staying with us. But now that we have Elana a little more figured out on times she eats, my mom's looking forward to getting up with her at night giving us some sleep! Much more needed/appreciated now than when we were first home and would have been up listening to every noise anyway. Plus she's going to clean my filthy house as that's the one thing I haven't managed to get done yet.

[Dar20]

Ok, just curious. I was born at Morton Plant (or something like that) in Clearwater.

Maybe it's just me, but when my MIL tries to do dishes or something when they are here, I feel like I have to watch her like a hawk. KWIM? Each dish has it's place in the dishwasher, our pots cannot be put in the dishwasher, etc. And, her definition of 'clean' is different than mine. So, I just shush her away when she tries to help. It's better than cleaning up after her. When she's not helping, she's watching ME like a hawk. It's enough to drive me insane.

At least my mother asks how I like things done (and she cleans more like me since I learned from her), but I feel so inadequate when visitors do dishes or something. It's a vicious circle!


On another note, I was feeling really huge this morning for some reason. I was getting dressed and DH was still lounging in bed, and he says to me, "I can't get over how small your tummy still is." Sometimes, ya gotta love him. I reminded him I still have 3 months to go, but I appreciated the comment.

[MadameX]

Originally posted by BrattyChelle
That's what I did!!! Surprisingly they used thinner pads than I bought myself. Kind of like the regular Always thin mini's without wings. So I snagged 'em up.

May be TMI...but even with my excessive bleeding issues they still used those so you should be fine

Michelle~I have those thinner ones on hand...I wonder if I should get some thick winged ones anyway. I was surprised to see that you still bleed even with a c-section...I guess I just thought they would get everything out with the baby.

On another note, I was feeling really huge this morning for some reason. I was getting dressed and DH was still lounging in bed, and he says to me, "I can't get over how small your tummy still is." Sometimes, ya gotta love him. I reminded him I still have 3 months to go, but I appreciated the comment.

Dar~What a sweet hubby! He will get points for keeping that up through the third tri, when it gets so hard to move around! I just realized that it gets harder and harder to wipe your own bum. Almost as tricky as putting on lace-up shoes and socks. You are smart to take a calcium supplement if you think you're not getting enough. We got that hammered into us at our last class. Isn't it funny how they tell women 8 months PG what they should be eating? What if we were doing it wrong previously?

Dena~Will your family stay with you after baby comes or do they live close by? The hotel thing sounds nice.

Ames~I too have heard widely varying stories on the amount of bleeding afterwards.

Jen~Hi! How's Murphy doing?

Martha~Wow, I can't believe you are in ketosis! I haven't even thought to test for that in, say, eight months . I am really ready to start to think about life and diet after being PG, though. I put on three more pounds from my last OB appointment, but my fundal height had not changed from two weeks before! So something's growing, but I think it's my thighs.

My DH has been gone all week, and I am always surprised at how differently I eat when he's not here and I am left to my own devices: I eat hardly any meat! I do eat eggs, though. And cheese. I just would not cook bacon just for me, and he has it every day. I could eat quiche or salad and ice cream for dinner, but he has to have meat or it's not "dinner", KWIM?

BBL
Kelley

[MadameX]

Okay, a quick vent about my dog...

I love her dearly, but she is SO NEEDY lately I can't stand it! It is non-stop attention she needs! This is not normal for her. If she is not forcing me to pet her, she is whining (not normal for her either) and staring at me from the end of the couch. This is every minute of the day this behavior goes on!

I don't know if it's because:
1)She can tell I'm PG and change is in the wind
2) DH is not here this week
3) I weaned her from her pain medication for her sore shoulder and maybe she is going through withdrawal? She's not limping anymore, so I assume she feels better.

I realize I'm in trouble if the dog is bothering me this much, but I'm also extra emotional lately and I feel like I'm not doing something right....

whew, end of vent.

Kelley

[Dar20]

Kelley, is DH normally gone? When one of us is gone for a while, even if just outside of our normal schedule (like if DH goes to the movies with a friend and I stay home), the dogs get really moody and either clingy or aloof.

All the possible causes are legit.. it could be one or all three. You never know with dogs. Sorry she's driving you crazy, though. Does she have any chew toys you could distract her with? Does she like Greenies? If you've never tried them, I'd get her a few. My dogs love them and it keeps them occupied on something for a few minutes at least. It also helps clean their teeth, so there's an added benefit. They also like the bleached bones.. not sure exactly what they are called. Another option is to get a Kong, fill it with peanut butter or Easy Cheese and freeze it. It will keep her occupied for a while as she fights with getting the goodies out.

I guess my point is to give her something else to focus on, it might help her and give you a few minutes peace!

[MadameX]

Thanks, Dar.

She's not a chewer or a snacker, but I will check into the Greenies. Is that like rawhide?

DH's absence should be nothing new to her, but she also is perplexed/worried about the baby's new room, so maybe that's it. I caught her sniffing the baby toys and stuffed animals in there, and she seems to know they are not for her...she has her own!

Kelley

[Dar20]

Originally posted by MadameX
She's not a chewer or a snacker, but I will check into the Greenies. Is that like rawhide?

I don't think I've ever met a dog that can resist peanut butter. This is a Kong, if you've never used one. The bottom is open for putting in goodies/licking out.


Greenies (you can find them at Petco/Petsmart/etc.) are dental chews. They are designed to help dogs keep their teeth clean, but most dogs just love their flavor. They are shaped like a fat toothbrush. It's hard like a bone, but easy for dogs to chew off a piece to chew on and swallow, unlike rawhide. You buy them based on the size of your dog. Here's the ingredients:
Processed wheat gluten, glycerin, natural flavor, powdered cellulose, monosodium phosphate, monoglycerides of edible fatty acids, magnesium stearate, and chlorophyll.

[heather123]

Hi gals~

Sorry I don't have time for personals right now, but I just have a quick question:

How long does it take for sugar you eat ( refined sugar as well as from fruits) to leave your blood stream? My doctors office said an 8 hr fast is all they ask, but I thought it took 3 days for sugar to get out of your system.

[MadameX]

Heather~Don't know for sure, but I think sugar is one of the quickest things to be utilized and metabolized by our bodies, so an 8-hour fast should be sufficient for blood sugar level reporting. The 3-day thing may be to get into ketosis, which you're not looking to do while PG if you can help it.

Kelley

[GoJackets]

Originally posted by MadameX
Dena~Will your family stay with you after baby comes or do they live close by? The hotel thing sounds nice.

This is going to be interesting....I know what I want in my mind, but not sure how to communicate it. I think everyone will understand.

My mother lives about 350 miles away. She will be up here when it gets close to my due date. She wants to move here, but I'm not sure that will happen before the baby gets here.

His mother will probably be there during delivery, in the waiting room. While I'm in labor, I won't mind close family being in with us....but when it is time to spread those legs and get down to business, I just want my mother and DH. Her mother (my Grammy) was there when I was born, and I know my mother has been looking forward to this day for a while. She is prone to getting her feelings hurt, I will have to make her understand that this is Jonathan's show. He gets the baby first. Then shortly after delivery, I won't mind his family visiting with us and the baby briefly....but when it is time to rest....I just want DH and the baby.

When we get home, I'd like our first night to be alone as well. All of his family lives nearby. I think it would be okay for them to visit during the day, but I don't want them there at night. Same goes for my mom.....but I don't know where she will stay. I don't think I could ask her to stay in a hotel. There is a room above the garage that she could stay in.

Who knows how it will play out, but there are certain times that I just want Jonathan and the baby. It just depends on how delivery goes I suppose. I've romanced in my mind how I want it, but ultimately this baby will decide I guess!

[Dar20]

Originally posted by GoJackets
His mother will probably be there during delivery, in the waiting room. While I'm in labor, I won't mind close family being in with us....but when it is time to spread those legs and get down to business, I just want my mother and DH.

LOL.. if my MIL is anywhere near me while I'm laboring... I think I'd rather just die or I'd have the potential to strangle her. It's nice to have someone 'mother' you... but she goes to the point of 'smother'. At least my own mother would be a cheerleader, too.. and I think she'd be quite practical about it. I'd appreciate someone there to keep me moving along and motivated.. not sit there and pacify me. MIL drove me crazy during their visit... if I'd try to do anything such as pick up a dog or the baby, she'd freak out completely. As Sarah so famously said, "I'm not broken!"

That being said, I'm sure it will just be DH and I. Family is too far away. That's fine, too. I know Rob will do a great job at keeping me motivated as well as keeping my spirits up.

I think your mom would understand letting you and DH hold baby first. Just make sure she knows in advance, though!

At least I know I'm not the only one who doesn't want family staying overnight.