Lifeguard,

I'll bet you're completely cute!! I think that (in my very limited experience) all pregnant women feel huge, no matter how much or how little we've gained. Our bodies are changing in new ways and we're just not used to the shape it's taking. You're NOT huge, but I know how you feel. I honestly think our perception of ourselves is off to begin with and now being pregnant it's even worse. Try to remember that pregnancy is really a beautiful time and that in the long run it's so very short. I know I'm not one to speak since I freak out about weight gain every now and then, but try to enjoy this brief time... it doesn't last very long. No matter what you gain you'll be able to lose it again, I have 100% confidence in you.

I'm counting the hours... our ultrasound is on Thursday at 2:30pm (MST). I keep praying that the baby will cooperate and we can find out the gender. Tomorrow can't come fast enough!

Thanks Gale. We have an appointment tomorrow too. It's with a new doctor & I'm hoping he'll be more in line with the type of birth we are hoping for (the previous one already offered a planned c-section - wtf?!). I'm also hoping the u/s will confirm it's a boy. I just didn't see it last time even though the doc seemed sure.

Oy I am almost 300 lbs and I am huge! Nothing to be ashamed about, well it is in a way, I let myself go when I should have been trying harder to lose weight in preparation to get pregnant but I got depressed because it didn't happen as fast as I expected and I started eating like mad. But I am positive that I am going to lose all the weight this time around. As soon as I am recovered from my c-section I'm going to be right into an exercise and eating program.

Saw the OB yesterday, my section is planned for Aug 27. I have to have a section because of my pelvis being so narrow, I had one for the first baby because he was 9 lbs 4 oz and hadn't even dropped 8 days over my due date. I was induced and had my water broke and didn't dilate more than 1 cm over about 4 hours. By then I was calling for an epidural and she said that I might as well have a spinal and a section because that baby wasn't coming out any other way. Then afterwards she said that if I had another baby unless that baby was about 6 lbs or less I'd probably need a section. Well I had an ultrasound at the end of June and the baby was almost 4 lbs by their reckoning (don't ask me how they can figure that out) so I'm thinking that the baby is likely to gain more than 2 lbs by the end of August.

Also I had to see the dietician yesterday and she is concerned about my blood sugar levels. I had the glucose tests last month and while I don't have gestational diabetes I am glucose intolerant so I had to start checking my sugars 4 times a day. She's okay with most of the readings just not the fasting sugar first thing in the morning is too high so she got the doctor to prescribe Metformin which is a medication that diabetics take. I'm a little worried about it now that I've had some time to think about it. I don't want to start taking something my body is going to get used to and have to keep taking after I have the baby. I'm going to talk it over with the pharmacist and also I think there is a diabetic clinician at the pharmacy so I'll talk to her about it as well. I could probably do more with controlling my diet and I'd rather do that than start this medication. Anyone have any experience with gestational diabetes?

Jen - I hope you are able to find a solution that works for you for the gd. My understanding is that the diagnostic tests they use have much to be desired & that in fact many women who are told they have gd in actuality do not. Try hard not stress about it & keep up a good diet.

I just got back from meeting the new ob. He is AWESOME!!! When I told him why I was unhappy with the other ob he finished my sentence saying "let me guess, she offered a c-section. What was the reason she gave, too small a pelvis?". LOL! Made me very happy. He doesn't require an iv, doesn't require continuous fetal monitoring, only does interventions when they are absolutely necessary. He has even fought with the hospital so that now his patients do not need to move to a delivery room but can stay in the labour room throughout, meaning no scrubs or limits of people in the room.

I'm just SOOOO relieved. I've been so anxious about the birth becoming overmedicalized. He also did an ultrasound & confirmed for sure it's a boy. He even had a 4D ultrasound which I wasn't expecting & sent me home with a cd - so that's cool 'cause I can show my mom when we go home next month.

lifeguard- So happy to hear that your new OB rocks! Very cool. I love my OB, too! I can't wait to deliver this baby at a totally different hospital and with a totally new group!

jen- We all feel huge at some point or another. Some days I feel gynormous and other days I don't feel so pregnant. You will lose your huge tight round belly right away as soon as you deliver although after the baby you will still look a little pregnant. That was one of the things I noticed right away the last time...I felt so much better right away. I mean, I was still puffy from IVs and pushing but I felt like I could have worn a bikini. Ok, maybe not that great. DH had to gently tell me, "honey, just know that you still look pregnant." Obviously, there wasn't a big mirror in my hospital room. "I know that, I said,but in the next few days once I shed all this excess fluid and my uterus starts shrinking...I won't! " And I was right!
Hang in there! Oh- Did your doctor write you out of work but not on bedrest??

Gale- How did your US go? Dying to know if the baby cooperated. Where you able to find out the gender??

As for me, had a rough time the last shift I worked, Monday night. I had to sit out and put my feet up for 45 minutes before the backpain and sciatica went away. Totally tried not to freak out because I don't want to be put on bedrest with this one. I don't return to the OB until next Wednesday and hopefully I don't have to report that I have started having some contractions. So far, sciatica but no contractions. Any one else have a hard time distinguishing between brackston hicks and baby movement?? This baby is laying across my abdomen and everytime she does a roll or move, I think it is the beginning of a contraction and I panic. As far as work goes, I would like to work and stay active as long as I can. Plan on agreeing to only work 4 hours tomorrow night but may stay a little longer and help out if I feel up to it. I am not delivering at the hospital that I work so all of my great OBs are closer to my home. Definately, have to find my maternity belt too before I go in tomorrow. Previously, with the other babies, I wouldn't have left home to go to work without it. Now, I gotta go dig around in my postpartum stuff for it. Somehow, its not in my maternity stuff!

Almsthere - I am just off work, I am not on bedrest but somedays I feel like I should be. Today I was just walking around WalMart for about half hour and that practically did my back in. I don't do a whole lot during the day, if I can get one or two things done as well as keep up with the daily stuff and keep up with my 6 year old I count it as being a successful day! I'm not freaking out about feeling huge, just a statement of fact. Heck I am over 270 lbs, I am not a tiny thing! I know I will probably lose more than what I have gained within a few weeks of the delivery and it can't happen soon enough for me especially getting rid of some of this fluid. I'm so sick of my feet being swollen almost all the time.

Lifeguard - congrats on learning you are having a boy and finding an OB that you like. Why would your first OB want to plan a c-section, how could she possibly know that you have a narrow pelvis without actually seeing it? I am having a planned c-section because the last time my OB did see how narrow I was (who would have guess under all this flab?) and said that if I had any more babies unless they were small I'd need a c-section. Seeing as I am obese and had a big baby the first time everyone is figuring that this one is going to be big as well. I don't necessarily think so because on June 30 I had an ultrasound and they figured the baby was about 4 lbs so I can't see that it is going to gain all that much weight in 2 months. I think you are right about the gestational diabetes. I talked to the pharmacist about the medication and she said that no my body shouldn't get used to it and I shouldn't need it after delivery. I'm going to take it for a bit and see what happens but I may just take myself off of it if I don't think I need it. I think they are being really fussy about these numbers because if I was really diabetic no one would do squat with these numbers. Like I can't even see a doctor prescribing me oral meds let alone insulin. I'm gonna give it a week and see.

Otherwise not much going on, glad to see that you guys are doing well. Take care all!

Jen - my point exactly! There is absolutely no reason at this point to think I need a c-section - but c-section rates are very high here. Plus the fact that the whiter you are the more likely you are to get a c-section - I suppose it's 'cause they see us as being rich & therefore able to afford a c-section. It's a money maker.

I put a couple of the u/s pics on my blog if you're interested.

Lifeguard - I had a look at your ultrasound pictures, how nice that he did a 4D ultrasound for you, I'm assuming that he did not charge for it. Here I'd have to pay about $100 to go to a private clinic for the same thing. It's sort of a fun thing to do rather than something that is medically necessary so I haven't had it done. The last ultrasound that I had done I have a picture of the face, not as good as a 4D picture but better than nothing.

Gale02, so what's the verdict - team pink or team blue?

Lifeguard - I am glad that you liked your new doctor. I absolutely love my Midwife. I bet the 4D ultrasound was amazing! We also have to pay for it here and go to a private clinic, but we may still do it.

Oh, and hi everyone. I am still early in this pregnancy - baby #3 for me. I have a 10 year old son and 8 year old daughter. So, this kind of feels like I am starting over to a point. Haven't been here a whole lot lately, but try to check in from time to time. I hope that everyone is feeling good and babies are well.

Yeah - I was very surprised he did the 4D u/s. Back home I definitely would have had to go to a private clinic & pay for it. When a friend of mine did it a couple of years ago she had to go to another city & paid $300!!! I think it is cheaper now but I never would have paid the extra for it. Although this doctor is a little more expensive then the one I was seeing - thank goodness for insurance!

IT'S A BOY!!

We're both so excited. There was absolutely no question at all on the ultrasound. She managed to get underneath him, so it looked like he was sitting on a copy machine. Very, very clearly boy parts. Even the ultrasound tech said "WOW! That is most definitely a boy." He was a wiggly little one in there, I felt the hardest kick I have so far. She couldn't get a really good picture of his face, he kept both hands up next to his mouth almost the entire time.

Everything looks totally normal as far as we can tell. The other Dr. still has to review it, but it looks good. The ultrasound dated me at 20w6d instead of the 19w5d I was at. But, they're not going to change my due date since it was within 2 weeks.

We were able to get a 4-D ultrasound done in addition to the 2-D. It amazes me that you have to pay more and go to a different clinic to get them done in some places! Where we were she just hit a button on the computer and it changed back and forth from 2-D to 4-D.

We went and registered at Target after we found out. We also bought some cute clothes (of course.) I like registering, it's like shopping without spending the money!


I had my 20 week OB appointment right after the ultrasound and everything seems to be progressing normally. I gained 4 lbs this month, bringing the total so far to 9 lbs. I've been eating unnatural amounts of cereal lately . Seriously, every bowl in the house was dirty and only 2 plates were dirty... that says something! I love cereal, and I figure the milk is good for me anyway. Better than eating out at any rate.

I do have a victory to share... I've actually exercised this week! I played volleyball on Monday night and I've gone for 2 walks with the dogs. Not long ones, but better than the nothing I've been doing for the last 3 months. It feels great to get outside, even around the neighborhood.

Gale - Congratulations!! Registering after you find out the sex is so much fun -- I did it on the same day too. And my boy was flipped upside down like that too in the u/s picture and you could REALLY see he was a boy!

Lifeguard - I'm so glad you're happier with your new OB -- it sounds like a much better fit for you!

lovinlife - Congrats and welcome! You can probably give first-time moms like me lots of advice!

almsthre and jen -- Hi!!

I had my 38-week appointment today and had a nice long talk with my OB about the vaginal pain problems I have from internal exams and the traumatic experience I had last week with the nurse practitioner. She examined me today and it wasn't as bad, and she discovered that I haven't dilated or effaced at all yet, that I'm completely closed. I thought the little bean was comfortable in there, and it turns out he is!

Because of the intense pain I have from any kind of insertion, my OB told me to consider an elective C-section. I'm supposed to think it over and let her know by my next appointment on Friday. My husband and I are kind of tearing our hair out about the decision and I have a lot of research to do. I never thought I would opt for something like that, but I also thought I would get over this problem of mine and at 36 I'm still not over it. What's nice is that my OB isn't pushing me one way or another -- she just wanted me to know I do have the option, and she's completely supportive either way.

Congrats Gale! I thought I would be disappointed if it was a boy but I'm surprisingly not (I've always wanted girls). I think 'cause it's our first I feel sure I'll get my girl.

Lisa - I'm sorry you're faced with this decision. Is it something that speaking with a therapist might help with? (Sorry if I'm making assumptions as you have not given much detail.)

I've had a headache that has been slowly progressively getting worse over the past 24 hours. I finally just took some tylenol but man, every time these dogs bark I feel like I'm gonna be sick! Ugh.

Wow, everyone is having a boy! This bodes well for me because we don't know yet, won't know until the delivery. I'm hoping for a boy but really it won't matter of course. I have so many boy clothes though, I'll be spending a fortune on new clothes!

Lisa - I'm sorry to hear that you are having issues. It is hard to know what to do. Would an epidural take care of the pain?

My husband is cleaning his stuff out of the baby's room even as we speak so I have hopes that we'll finally get the room done in time. Not much else going on right now, heart burn like crazy today though.