Hellobee Boards

dr. appt today was boring as usual. numbness is worse--hope it goes away after delivery! 1.5 weeks till full term. ...

@MsMini: interesting! Every time I go to the doctor (ever since the blood draw for my GD test) I get my blood drawn because my doctor is concerned about my low platelets. I wonder if it is related to my PIH!

Good for you and your organization!!! You're all ready for baby!

@pastemoo: I'm also counting down to full term (and we're officially one month out from our due date!).
@MsMini: Just think - if you're induced on Tuesday, you'll get to meet your baby AND the swelling will start to go away. You'll have to let us know how long it takes to get your ankles back (I think I miss them the most!). Glad your BP is staying stable and you get to keep this weekend for the two of you.
@winniebee: Mine is 12 weeks. I figure I'll work a few days past my due date (maybe the end of the week, so May 25) so I don't use up too much of my time off. But my OB probably won't let me go more than 10 days past, and May 28 is a holiday so I'd only be lounging around baby-free for a few days. I figure I'll be napping and eating bon bons (or pacing the house shouting "GET OUT!") :-). And yay for your last weekend on house arrest! Make that pedi appointment now, so you have it to look forward to.
I just made a prenatal massage appointment for next Friday. Apparently my muscle knots are getting to be a little much for DH to handle on his own, because he really encouraged me to make the appointment. Today is a mini pedicure, then I'll have a full blown one a week or so before my due date.
Next OB appointment isn't until 4/26, and I'm really hoping she'll have some good news about effacement and dilation. If these stabby vag pains aren't moving that process along, I'm going to be very upset.

@LAGS: Oh man, that has been so stressful for me (the whole family visiting thing). I don't know if you saw my other post, but I posted about unwanted guests and visitors. Both DH and I have HUGE families and they all live extremely close to us. Basically every single person wants to see the baby as soon as possible and it's so stressful to me. In fact, I have already had TWO separate people ask if they could stay at our house when we go to the hospital so they could be there waiting for us when we come home.
I honestly don't even know what to do. I have said multiple times that we are really gonna want some time to ourselves (especially in the hospital) but no one seems to get it and there are just too many family members to have a one-on-one talking to with. I think we are just going to have to deal with it as it comes!

@mrsdaredevil I know how you feel, I fear the same thing! I'm going to breakfast with my mom tomorrow to talk to her about it see if her and my dad will be "gate keepers" for us we are really wanting our hospital stay to be as low key as possible but I have a huge family! Luckily we don't have this issue on hubby's side....I'll let you know how it goes

@LAGS: Luckily we don't have a lot of family close by it's not too much of an issue for me. DH's parents live 45 minutes away and will probably be at the hospital with us for a bit and then will help us out at home until my mom can get down here (she lives 8 hours away). My mom can only stay a few days and I don't think any of my siblings will come visit until later in the summer. DH's parents will be available when we need them, but are very good about giving us space, so that should be nice.
This is a good article about visitors after baby:
http://www.pregnantchicken.com/pregnant-chicken-blog/2012/3/28/visitors-after-the-baby-10-tips.html

I just had my 37 week appt and no internal. Everything is still looking great. My midwife really wants me to start taking primrose oil 3 times a day until I deliver to start everything "ripening". Anyone else's midwife/OB suggest this or know anyone who has taken it? She also wants me to start spending some time on the yoga ball to loosen up my hips.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

@Mrsdaredevil: As I'm sure you can piece together from my other post, your situation would send me over the edge! Luckily we're far away from most extended family/friends so only a few are close enough to just drop by... it kind of puts it in perspective that I'm lucky I only have to set boundaries with a select few, not an entire family tree! I hope you're able to come up with a happy solution for you and your husband, or at least have some awesome nurses to protect your privacy in hospital.

@winniebee: I need some of your confidence with line drawing. I'm starting to realize I'm a little bit of a pushover... that's going to have to change asap!

@duckduckkristen: I love Pregnant Chicken, I hadn't seen this yet thank you! Does your midwife recommend any specific movements on the ball?

@MsMini: What a perfectly sized little baby! Congrats on a great appointment, you should make it through the weekend no problem! I'm relieved to say our little one takes after DH and didn't inherit my enormous head haha

I concur with all the TGIFs

Got a manicure because I can no longer cut my nails--the whole thing felt SO BIZARRE! I can't even describe it--someone holding your hands and doing stuff and you can only feel it intermittently. So bizarre!

Sounds like all the nurseries are coming along. We're so close now!!

Ladies!!!

I disappeared for a while there......to have a baby!!!

Yes, on Tuesday I was supply teaching at a school that I used to teach at a lot (was full time for 2 years) and so that place is like home to me. Most of the teachers were at my wedding, etc.

So I went to the staff room for lunch and on the way I thought maybe I peed my undies a little (not unusual, but didn't remember sneezing or anything). It was just a bit on the underwear so I thought oh well and went pee in the toilet. Ate lunch with everyone. Went to stand up from lunch and felt like I peed a little. Sat down. Tried to stand up again, and felt like I peed a LOT. I said 'I think my water just broke, right here on this chair.'

I didn't even have time to think what to do, as I was surrounded by people who all told me what to do. They got my bags from the classroom, grabbed a garbage bag for me to sit on, someone gave me their extra pants (but I didn't change) and the principal drove me to the hospital.

His wife worked at the hospital as a nurse, so he had her meet us up front with a wheelchair. I felt like a celebrety. She whisked me up to delivery and my husband met us there.

Nothing else was happening, but as I sat in that wheelchair (which she had smartly padded with an absorption pad) every 5 minutes or so another big gush would suddenly come out. It was neat. But I had no contractions.

There was a lady across the hall who had apparently been in since all last night. She sounded ready to deliver and we asked about it and the nurses said she still had a ways to go. Made me realize this might be a long journey.

After my room was prepared they put me on the NST. Funny thing in the NST: the baby would get startled by the screaming lady across the hall! I was on the NST for a very long time. Near the end, I got a bad pain in my sacrum area (lower back) and I said 'oh! I think that's my first contraction....and if so, I'm having back labour and I hear that hurts'. I got DH to check on the output and indeed it had registered as a contraction.

My OB was down in the operating room, so we waited a little while for him to come and check me. By this point I started walking around to try to get things going. I figured I might get sent home.

He checked me and said my cervex was softening and coming forward. (What? Not even a little dialation?) He said that we could stay though and if nothing happened in 12 hours we'd talk about the possibility of induction.

So my husband went home to have a shower and get the hospital bags (yes, they weren't in my vehicle yet!). I decided to do everything I knew to get things going naturally because I have a slight fear of induction. I was walking and dancing around (literally). I turned on the TV to distract myself and my poor cell phone died after I sent out maybe 3 text messages to my parents, and a key friend. I was definitely having contractions now, but I was having a hard time telling when they came and left, as they would slowly come and get intense and slowly go.

Honestly, they never really really seemed to go away. The back pain in the lower pelvis was very uncomfortable. Also, I kept having the urge to have a poo, so I'd go to the toilet and pooed every time. I was glad about that. Also, sitting on the toilet felt really good and I've heard from a few people that they laboured a lot there, so I didn't feel weird about it. When things were more intense I would put my arms up over my head and clasp my hands together.

Time kept going on and it started really hurting. I couldn't stand it and I started feeling like a wimp for already feeling this way. I also got nausea and threw up a few times. I informed the nurses of this, but they weren't too concerned about me, because of how unlikely it would be that I was progressing very fast.

I could hardly stand the feelings to I decided to go in the shower. I stayed in the hot shower for probably an hour. I tried lots of different positions in the shower, and standing up straight killed.

I came out of the shower and one of the nurses checked on me and I told her about how my contractions really hurt now. She got me to lay down for some blood work and to put in an IV and laying down was so hard for me. This is when she truly saw how much pain I was in. It was awful.

DH came back and was shocked to find me in so much pain. He helped me back to my favourite spot: the toilet. And this time instead of my hands above my head I would squeeze his hands like all heck every time it hurt. I was now whining a lot and talking about how much it hurt. I heard the nurses telling each other to tell my doc to hurry back to check me again.

Then, I started getting the urge to push. And I said 'oh no I'm pushing' (which I learned was a no-no until approved after all the hours of listening to the other lady who had been stuck at 9cm for so long and kept asking if she could push and they said no).

The nurse made me come back to the bed because she said she didn't want me having a baby in the toilet and that my doc was coming to check me and we could look at pain management options then. (Yesssss! I thought. I could not face any more time in this pain).

Doc came to check me and he ordered the nurses to get the delivery equipment. He said we would wait for two more contractions and then the nurse would teach me how to push.

To push?! I was shocked that I was already there. Shocked and so relieved. This means I am not the wimp I thought I was. This means I won't be in pain for 12 more hours, like I thought.

So, they taught me about positioning and breathing and I started to push. They said I was doing a good job. NAively I thought this pushing business would last maybe 15 minutes, but I was in for almost 2 hours of pushing, even though they said I was really good at it.

The pushing still hurt, but it was much more satisfying than the contractions from before. And by the way, contractions never ever felt like I thought they would. For me I would just feel my back pain intensify and I knew that was called a contraction. It was unbearable pain, but the nurses were amazing coaches and also taught my husband how to assist. I felt really well supported.

The TV was still on and soon Glee came on and DH remarked how it was my favourite show. I was not up for happy jokes, but in the end I did find it interesting.

I was picturing the baby coming out: that was my focus.....like I could see it like a movie. But instead of picturing a full size baby, I pictured a tiny doll-size baby instead. It was the only way I could really imagine it working out, if you know what I mean.

Almost 30 minutes later, they said I was almost there. Crowning and such. I was so beyond ready, and I tried to change up my breathing a little, by pushing for a full 20 seconds instead of pushing for two sets of 10 second pushes. They were impressed with my 20 seconds of pushing and I am pretty sure I turned purple from it. Ha.

My Mom arrived from a few hours away, just in time. She said she wanted to wait in the hall, and I was glad that she was here. We had never ever talked about her coming or not.

The doc said there would be pain with the stretching but it is okay. Honestly, I didn't feel the stretching at all. But I was getting fed up with things not working and feeling so close for so long. Soon, the song 'Burn Baby Burn, disco inferno' came on and I thought how fitting that was....too funny. Next, I saw the doctor moving in and saying I'll feel a little pinch. I knew what he was going to do even though he didn't tell me. I heard the scissors SNIP SNIP and I thought 'yayyyyyyyyyy, he is setting me free....this will finally work'. (The nurse had kept telling me that once the baby comes out I will be free from all of this). As soon as the next contraction came, the baby FLEW out. It was crazy. In one snap moment he went from inside to outside. My belly got all small in one moment. In that one moment I also suddenly felt like my happy, alert, normal self. It was true: I was FREE! I said "wow, that's a relief!"

Not gonna lie: he was a cone-head, which I thought was pretty funny. But when they showed me his face, he was sooo cute. I couldn't believe it.

They stitched me up. (Only slightly painful...I'd say 'ouch' just so he knew when I'd feel it).

Then they put the baby on me, and other than 2 times when the nurses needed to take him to weigh him and such, I didn't let the baby leave my chest for the rest of the night until the morning. (YEs, I didn't even let my husband nor my mother hold him!) He was so cute and the world was perfect. I had never been happier.

The rest of the hospital stay and bringing home baby stories will be coming soon ladies! I have long stories to tell and it is all good times. I am soooooooooooo excited for all of you and can't wait to read your stories too.

My Dad is here to visit and I am being a bit anti-social so I haven't even caught up on my reading of this thread. I thought of you all so many times when I was in the hospital and I am so glad to be 'back'.

Nico was 7 pounds and 15 ounces. Born Tuesday April 17th at 8:28pm. (Water had broken at 12:45pm. Contractions started around 2pm. Contractions got really bad starting around 4pm. Apparently I 'pushed' for an hour or two. Totally natural birth with no drugs because it was all so fast. Happy at home now. Type to you more soon!)

Yay congrats!

@cvbee: Congratulations and welcome baby Nico! Thanks for sharing your story. I'm so glad to hear it went relatively quickly--but still a little freaked that the pushing phase was 2 hours! Hope you have a quick recovery and congratulations!

@pastemoo: Deadly, that explains it then, not hugely early.

@cvbee: I was almost going to make mention that you'd been MIA... Wow, congratulations Mama!!! So exciting to think you have Nico with you and thank you so much for sharing your story, it sounds like you had an amazing experience! I hope you're recovering well and enjoying your new family. Can't wait to hear all about your little boy and life as a family of three!

@cvbee: all the good news you give about the quick natural labor and the great recovery have seriously made me tear up. It is just such positive news, especially after reading so many horror stories on blogs. Good job mama.....

@volksgirl64: so sweet that your daughter was doing all of that big sister play. Sounds like she has bought into the idea well!

@auntpol: Did you find the night shirts you were looking for? I ended up being topless most of the time at the hospital wearing nightgowns that were actually just cheap jersey dresses that I could pull down (like tank top tops). I also felt 'dressed up' when visitors came because they were like real dresses. And I'd put a light cardigan on top for modesty if needed. I agree that dresses are better than pants for the next day after the birth. I ended up wearing yoga pants on the later days and felt great wearing those too. Now that I'm home I am not sure how to dress. So far today I wore a zip-up hoodie with my nursing bra under, but I like to wear 'nicer' things, so I'll have to work on the wardrobe thing.

@Lags: I'm not sure how many cloth liners I'll need; I'll cut the blanket only when I need it. I just started cloth diapering today and although I originally wanted to go cloth right from the start, in some ways now I appreciate the cloth better after using the disposables. (I hadn't finished priming the cloth diapers yet when I went into labour, so we just used some of the disposables that we had been given at the showers.) With cloth, so far I don't need to use ANY bum cream; his skin looks so great down there. I don't even need wipe wash : just the plain cloth wipes. It's crazy how well the cloth system is working for us so far. And tomorrow we're going to do our newborn photo shoot....can't wait for cute cloth diaper pictures! They are newborn Grovia AIOs.

@marriedandlovingit: I always heard that it doesn't really matter how closed your cervix is, and now I can say it is true: you can go from zero to push in just hours! You are my date twin, so now I feel like reading your posts is living out an alternate reality for me.

@goldilocks1187: We have our newborn photo session tomorrow. I feel a bit unprepared for what I want so we'll go the not-many-props route. He said naked baby bum shots and diaper shots (yay cute cloth diapers) will be the main ideas. He said he has a white blanket, but I'm going to bring some of our baby blankets too. And I think I'll dress him in his 'name suit' and maybe bring another outfit? I am just glad we are doing them. Hopefully the photographer has some good ideas because I have a dead brain right now.

@Nskillet: yes, internals don't hurt. They just feel a little uncomfortable...makes me straighten out my spine a little, but nothing that bad.

@Winniebee: I'm so excited for you to come out of house arrest!! What shall you do first?

@MsMini: so glad for your good ultrasound! I would not want to know about a big head baby. My poor baby had a normal size head and it still had to get all coney to try to come out.

Well, that took a long time (mostly due to interruptions from Nico.

Now my goal is to put him into his crib for me to sleep for an hour or whatever. So far, I did co-sleeping last night and I was on and off with co sleeping in the hospital. I never wanted to be a co-sleeper. I'm worried that Nico is getting too used to sleeping with a boob. I have to break this habit now. Wish me luck!

@cvbee: AHHH Im so excited with how much youve been posting!! I cant stand how close we all are to having our babies!!! Im a redhead too!! I wonder if its any prediction for how my labor will go? How did DH handle the labor support parts?

How has it been adjusting to the babies sleep schedule and yes, breastfeeding post please!!

You were right, the internal didnt hurt at all. Honestly, less painful than a pap smear. I have another this wednesday and praying im farther along than my first check (80% effaced 1CM dilated and +1 head position) Im so anxious to have this baby girl at this point. This week is my last week of work and I swear it will be torture!!

@cvbee: Ahh you're a labor and delivery champ, I'm so happy for you! I'm with MissDaredevil, I'm so excited to hear that you're having such a positive experience! I was beginning to think a manageable delivery and recovery was some kind of urban legend! That's fantastic CDing has been going so well too, you sound like an old pro!

@winniebee: Happy 35 weeks! You're doing a great job protecting that little one! Nice to hear you've had lots of company lately. It wont be long now!

@marriedandlovingit: I hope you're feeling better and its just the normal discomforts of pregnancy. I've been feeling light headed the past couple days too. It gets old very quickly. 39 weeks, awesome! Sounds like its definitely time to get that bag ready!

@winniebee: Good for you! 35 weeks!
Like you, I thought my baby was going to make an early arrival--I was so nervous of getting induced early because of my BP. Now that everything has settled down I feel like this baby is going to be LATE! UGH!!!
Your mom is awesome--TG4M (Thank God for Moms)

So my maternity photoshoot is today. I just finished curling my hair and doing my makeup. The photog suggested two outfits, but I really don't have anything that I think will photograph super well... so I think I am just going to stick to simple: tight black T-shirt and white capris. Probably bare feet. I tend to be drawn to baggy clothes but I have a feeling those WONT photograph well.

I am excited....it's super nice here today (72 degrees), the hottest it has been since summer!!