[GreatBigMonsterMomma]

We're all good over here. Nothing much to report, except I spent several hours over two nights coming up with stuff online to reassure Rob about homebirth (a study just came out reaffirming their safety; those interested can see it here). Also managed to find out that we lucked out & bought the fishy pool everyone recommends if you can't afford a birth pool. So that's all set up! :

Now all that remains on the home-birth front is to figure out what the heck we're gonna do with the kidlets...Well, that & to buy our supplies, but we're still trying to figure out just what we'll need.

My scale broke, so I don't know how much weight I've gained. But I'm pretty sure I don't weigh 85.5 pounds. I'll take that as God's nudge to not worry. I've actually started eating again. After nearly 6 months of no appetite/morning sickness I've been noshing what feels like nonstop yesterday and today. Seemed like I was cooking something else about every two hours yesterday.

I'm already starting in on my usual 3rd trimester insomnia, only about 3 weeks early. I'm trying to use the time productively, however. I've managed to come up with several crochet patterns in the wee hours! I'm also starting to get into optimal fetal positioning, more info about which can be found at Spinning Babies. Of course, I'm least comfortable in the positions they recommend most highly, so I forsee lots of floor-scrubbing in my future. I don't agree that laying on the couch is the first cause of c-sections (I think it's more like the impatience of hospital staff coupled with a love of inductions, but I'll try to keep off my soapbox tonight), but getting your baby in the best position apparently does help with perception of pain during labor, and maybe even with duration of labor. (And then the doctor tells you to lay on your back so your body has to work against gravity...OK, I'll stop myself now.)

Baby is nice and active. Plenty of little flips, and the occasional kick actually visible, which is nice. And the birth dreams are picking up frequency...No subconscious hints as to baby's sex, though. Darn it.

[Inca's Momma]

I'm doing great myself, just got back from getting an ultrasound and then visiting the OB/GYN. My baby boy is currently around 8 pounds 5 oz So my doctor said I was dialated and he "stripped my membranes" <-----what the heck does that mean?????? Anyway he said it might speed up labor, so I need to walk a lot and have sex Guess I'll be ho'ing on the street corner tonight

[hautbois]

Doing good myself...Friday is my next OB visit (AM) and then I go for my "big" ultrasound in the afternoon. We do not want to find out the gender, but it'll be nice to see the little one. According to my home scale, I'm down 3 lbs overall. I'm curious to what the dr scale will be. I'm incredibly tired (I thought I was supposed to have more energy for the second trimester ) It could be the hot weather too. It's supposed to be in the mid-90's all week, so I'll be spending my days indoors!

[tolose85]

Kimberlie... lol.. I am not doing so well in this heat. We had 100 degree weather this weekend and not letting up much through the week. Even our pool didn't seem to even help, so I lay in the air conditioning-- and slept. On Thursday, I had some major heat flashes, dizziness and slightly increased BP. I called the OB Doc and they tell me its all normal for 3rd trimester and heat. They went on to tell me that my days are too long at work and I need to cut back my hours! So now I'm in a dilema! I see the doc for my normally scheduled appt. on Fri. and the nurse tells me to have a plan for my working hours. I commute 2 hours per day, and work a 9 hour day. I sit at a desk, with my feet up but I can't seem to kick the extreme fatigue. Their solution, cut back. Easier said than done. So, I've come up with a plan to relocate to an office more near to my home and potentially work more from home. We'll see how that works out. I feel like I'm being a wimp but I am so tired that by the time I get home, I want to literally sleep for the rest of the night, but I can't. I have so much to do!! UGH! I guess all these overwhelming feelings are normal? Someone, please tell me yes. Once again, stuck between a rock and a hard place. I've been really having a tough time sleeping at night, and even a tougher time getting OUT of bed. My feet are pretty "log like" filled with fluid. I keep them up when I can. I guess I really should not be complaining, I have had a fairly easy "medically wise" pregnancy, aside from the normal bothers, fatigue and all around tiredness, I am A-OK! SOrry for the gripe session.

[GreatBigMonsterMomma]

Kimberlie, having your membranes stripped means the doc ran his finger around the inside of your cervix to separate your bag of waters from your cervix. I hope he doesn't intend to make a habit of performing procedures on you without your knowledge! Don't sweat the size the u/s said your baby was, such estimations are notoriously inaccurate and usually err on the large side. I've heard plenty of stories from mamas who were told they'd have 9lb babies and had 7lb'ers instead, including unfortunately a few who were talked into c-sections because of those "huge" babies.


I know walking always got labor started for me. I have to be very careful in the 3rd trimester because too much walking sets off preterm contractions. I do, however, have my eye on a set of stairs up the side of a mountain for when I hit term...

Gretchen I hope you manage to work something out with your work. Maybe if you prove now you can work capably from home your employer will be willing to let you continue doing so once the baby is here. Even doing so part-time will help with your day-care concerns.

And you don't have to apologize for complaining about being hot and tired. It's essentially summer year 'round here, so I know I'm going to be whining my share or more by the time my birthday rolls around in August!

The overwhelming feelings...they are normal. And to be perfectly honest, they will get ten times worse once the baby is here and you realize you are responsible for an entire other human being. It does abate eventually, though. I know Linda wasn't even a month old by the time we three had acclimated to being we four, and it was like she had been there all along. Once you get in a mommy groove, it gets a lot simpler.

[almostheaven]

Someone was just telling me yesterday that she had a pedicure that put her into labor 2 weeks early. I forget how she explained what she found out about how the pedicure affects it. But if anyone's looking for a way to speed up labor, you could always try that.

[Inca's Momma]

Yeah I agree I hope my doc doesn't strip my membranes again because it hurt like ! I'm still sore today from it.

[barbygirl43]

Hopefully it helped you out Kimberlie. I never could get mine stripped because of where my cervix was at. You can also try heading down some bumpy roads

[GreatBigMonsterMomma]

Seriously, Kimberlie, I'd have a conversation with my doctor about that. I'd be worried what else he would decide to do without my knowledge. Keep in mind you can always refuse internal exams, period. I've heard a lot of people say that sort of thing happened to them, and a few who had worse (like having their cervix manually opened during a dialation check in labor--imagine how painful that must be!).

Your baby knows when it's time for him to come. The frustrating thing is that we're usually ready long before they are. Just don't let anyone talk you into a do-it-yourself induction with castor oil; I hear that's a pretty miserable way do it. There are lots of homeopathic ways to jump-start labor if you really feel the need, everything from the usual lots of sex and walking to nipple stimulation & evening primrose oil. Sex is probably the most fun though.

Edited to add: Whee! Twenty-four weeks. I'm officially at viability!

[barbygirl43]

Sabra is right about not having anything done on you. If you aren't sure about something make sure you ask what it is. (and castor oil never worked for me )

Yah Sabra for hitting that milestone.

Well it's official. I'm pregnant. Went to the health department today to have it confirmed. I have my first appt. with the patient coordinator on July 18.

[gray eyed girl]

Spinningbabies is the Best Website Ever. My daughter was posterior and I was in labor for almost 2 days with her, with horrible back labor most of the time. It's a miracle I didn't end up with a c-section (they didn't know I'd been in labor more than a day before going to the hospital). My son turned at 36 weeks and my labor with him was so absurdly easy and short that I didn't even realize it was real, serious labor until transition and we almost didn't make it to the hospital. My babies were within 4 oz of each other in weight and 1/2 inch in size. The only difference was their positions during labor.

Kimberlie, my daughter was estimated to be at least 8.5-9 lbs by a late ultrasound, but she was just over 7. The ultrasounds can be very innacurate. Don't worry too much! I hope that the membrane stripping ends up being worthwhile. I had it done (at my own request) with both and was in labor both times within hours, but it really seems to depend on the person whether it works or not. And it really does hurt, so I would be POed if it was done without my request/consent! I hope that it works for you as well as it did for me.

[gray eyed girl]

oh and I totally missed Dawn's post ... congratulations!! I hope you have a wonderful, easy pregnancy.

[barbygirl43]

Gray-eyed-girl—Lilly was the same way. I was having regular consistent ctx every 2-4 minutes for almost a week and wasn't told she was posterior just a couple of days before I had her. I was told to get on all 4s to try to turn her. I ended up with the emergency section for failure to progress after laboring for 6+ hours in the hospital.

[HoosierHeather]

We just found out I'm pregnant for the 2nd time (2 year old little girl). We're pretty excited since this was the 12th month we'd been trying.

I had my membranes stripped with the first one, on a Wednesday, and started early labor on Friday afternoon. My daughter was also sunny-side-up, and the nurses told me it hurts so much more, but it was my first, so what do I have to compare it to!

So far, I'm just really tired and keep having crampy twinges on either side and in my lower back - I remember having these before. No bleeding at all though, so I'm not worried about miscarriage.

I'm really trying to eat well. Lots of fruits & veggies at least. Then we went to a baseball game tonight and I ate a hot dog and dippin' dots. Well, there's always tomorrow, right?

Best of luck to everyone! Sounds like a lot of you are due pretty soon (comparatively, at least).