Thanks! It might be a while. We made the hour drive to the birth center and are on a little walk before the on call midwife arrives. So far the contractions are pretty intense but I feel fine in between.
I've had bloody show since midnight and cramps turning into regular contractions since then. Contractions are 5 mins apart or so and about 45 seconds long. I've been up since 4:30 and called my midwife a little while ago. She said to hang out at home a little longer which is fine with me. This is crazy! I'm excited and nervous!
Congrats! It's an exciting time of life! I second the Mayo Guide and also liked "Expecting Better". What else do you need to know? Maybe just that pregnancy gets way better and more enjoyable after the 1st trimester - that seems to be an almost universal rule.
I'm sitting in bed enjoying a big cup of coffee while DH does my farm chores. I slept 9 hrs last night you guys! I feel like a new woman, after only getting a couple hours the last few nights due to restless legs and the baby moving.
Here's a funny pregnancy story for you - this is the joy of being full-term:
I woke up at 5am and had to go to the bathroom really bad. As soon as I moved, both my legs got Charlie Horses simultaneously (which I've been getting more since pregnant). So I'm writhing in pain massaging my calves desperately. Then as soon as I could, I hop out of bed and try to run down the stairs to the bathroom before I pee my pants. But my legs are still cramping so I'm CRABHOPPING SIDEWAYS down the stairs, huge pregnant belly, about to pee my pants. I just started laughing SOOO hard at myself. I must have looked hilarious. DH woke up and was like "what the hell is going on?! It's 5 am!" Laughing, crabhopping, peeing my pants, 9 mo pregnant. What a sight.
I don't have a baby yet, but I just read in "heading Home with Your Newborn" which was written by two MD's that overvigorous cleaning of the sensitive labial skin can lead to the labia becoming adhered together. I was horrified at that.
I'm glad someone else asked this because I keep getting tempted to go in for a wax right before delivery. The only thing holding me back is that I've never had a bikini wax before and I'm sure this isn't the best time to start. I've been shaving everything by feel for the last couple weeks. So far (amazingly) it's actually been working just fine though it's pretty frustrating.
I didn't end up lap swimming this pregnancy but I am a former competitive swimmer so I did some thinking about this. I wear my suits pretty tight and they were definitely too snug by about 25 weeks. From my google searches it sounds like most swimmers just go a size or two up in their regular swim suits. Seems like that was the common consensus for the best option on other swimming message boards.
rbp i'm curious what your husband's reasons are for being strongly pro-epidural. Â Definitely not judging - total curiosity. Â I've heard the "natural birther" argument that epidurals are awful for mom and baby, but I've never seen them back it up with any studies to make their point valid. Â What reasons do MD's have for thinking an epidural birth is better than a non-medicated birth?
Here are some of the studies that I have found convincing.
A review of multiple studies concluded epidurals increase chance of interventions and subsequent complications and decrease chance of vaginal birth, and weaken the newborn's immune system www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12011872/
So one might say these relationships exist but are they really CAUSED by the epidural? But there are plenty of other studies that show evidence that epidurals affect natural fluctuations in the neurotransmitters and hormone levels that are responsible for many of the above processes. I can dig up some of those too, if you're interested...
Thank you for sharing these! I am such a research nerd, I'll definitely be reading these studies.
Well, I'd really love to have a baby this weekend!
But barring that, I think I'll be taking it easy for the most part and hanging around home. I've got plans to go out for dessert with a bunch of girlfriends on Sunday night, so I'm looking forward to that.
I miss wine. A lot. With DS, we were still going out and having dinner parties with friends fairly often so I still got a chance to have a sip every week or two, and occasional small glasses later on in second and third trimester. But now we eat at home 95% of the time and DH doesn't drink at home so there is no wine to be found! Sigh. It's so hot here this week, all I want is a nice cold glass of Pinot Grigio or a Corona with lime.
I'm sorry. I know I wouldn't be happy about facing a hot summer without a cold beer or a G&T. I think after 22 weeks or so, I stopped missing my nightly glass of red wine so much, but I still really crave it occasionally. Hang in there and have a sip once in a while!
rbp i'm curious what your husband's reasons are for being strongly pro-epidural. Definitely not judging - total curiosity. I've heard the "natural birther" argument that epidurals are awful for mom and baby, but I've never seen them back it up with any studies to make their point valid. What reasons do MD's have for thinking an epidural birth is better than a non-medicated birth?
Aren't those growth ultrasounds notoriously wrong? I've heard so many people over the years say their baby was measuring big on u/s and then it turned out to be normal size.
Personally, I'd push back but then again (see my post in your medicated/non-medicated birth post) I'm not into intervention unless it becomes medically necessary. Now, I do have one friend who birthed an 11+ lb baby and it was a veryyyy hard and long delivery. They didn't know ahead of time that the baby was going to be so big. She's due in a few weeks with her second child and is planning an induction for 39 weeks. I don't blame her one bit for that one!
Definitely try starting it on a paved or otherwise clear surface, like a section of lawn you already mowed. I have an impossible time getting my mower started if it's sitting in longish grass. Mine is old so I have to pump the primer button a lot the first few times, but you shouldn't really need to do that if it's already been running for a little bit. Also, this is technically unsafe, so be very careful: if it's died and the grass is long or wet, try turning it on it's side (WHILE IT'S OFF!!!!!!!) and seeing if grass clippings have clogged up the blade. I scrape clogs out with my hand but you should probably use a stick, in case for some bizarre reason the blade started. Fingers and arms are good things to have attached.
Popping back in with another idea. A while back I saw a FB friend post something about getting certified as a teacher for this online "Birth Bootcamp" course. I have NO idea if it's any good or even what you're looking for. But apparently online courses exist and maybe that would be helpful to you. birthbootcamp.com/
The heartrate changes based on fetal age, so wouldn't you have to compare heartrates at equal points of gestation to draw a conclusion? Here I am trying to get all scientific on your non-scientific question.
We aren't finding out what we're having, and the hb has been in the 150's for at least the last month or two. It goes up to 160 when baby is moving around but recovers at 150ish. Adult heart resting heart rates vary so much that I'd be surprised if there really was a gender correlation in fetuses. But now I'm curious...
I love that this conversation is informative, not judgmental. It's a breath of fresh air for a topic that is usually very heated. I like hearing everyone's personal reasons for their choices.
Personally, I prefer as few medical interventions as possible as long as everything is going safely for me and the baby. I'm a distance runner and I love seeing what my body can do when it is properly trained and I have the right support and mental state. So, I've approached this birth like training for a marathon Running marathons is the hardest thing I've ever done and I've run dozens of miles at a fast pace while pressing through pain and discomfort. I have complete confidence that if everything is going safely, I can do this too. I know that if I started out running a marathon thinking, "I'll decide halfway through the race whether or not I want to continue", then I absolutely would have quit at about mile 21. There is no doubt in my mind about that. So, I have approached the birth the same way: I'm planning to deliver with certified nurse midwives at a birth center 3 mins from the hospital. If I need medical intervention it will be available, but I will be in an environment that supports med-free birth.
That is what works for me, but I really don't care what other people choose. I don't think (from everything I've read) that epidurals are harmful to mother or baby. If I had to be induced, I imagine I'd probably end up wanting an epi because I've heard Pitocin can make contractions more painful than normal.
I also have a very strong support system and my mom has very positive stories about birthing all three of us med-free (including one breech baby) and says she didn't experience it to be terribly painful per se, though it was certainly hard. Other friends have corroborated that.
I called DH this morning and he said, "every time you call I expect you to say your water has broken and I think 'here we go!" when I answer the phone."
Yes, order your regular size or down one size. I wanted a 2, but they were out so I went with a 4 and it's just fine (see it in my maternity pics here: pandce.proboards.com/thread/313405/aw-maternity-photos) but I bet a 2 would have fit even better. The dresses have a lot of fabric.
This conversation is nutty. DH grew up in a town that has a huge percentage of Mexican immigrants. Some of his best friends from high school are Mexican and they throw a huge Mexican Independence Day party every year that we love attending. We are usually the only non-Mexicans (well, DH's has some Mexican ancestry but he wasn't raised in the culture) that attend the party. One of the party fixtures every year is a photo booth where everyone pulls random dress-up clothes like sombreros, traditional Mexican clothing, goofy mustaches and poses with bottles of Tequila and other stuff. They are totally being silly with their own culture and having fun with stereotypes. I repeat...these are FIRST AND SECOND GENERATION MEXICAN IMMIGRANTS.
Your emphasis makes the point that it is ok for people to poke fun at themselves.
Now imagine this party thrown by white people with white people only.
Not the same.
And.
Nobody ever wins with the "some of my best friends are _____" argument. LOL.
Yes, but we are not Mexican and they pretty much throw the costumes on us as they take photos of us dressed up as "mexicans" in sombreros. So, yes, I agree that it's different than white people throwing a party like that for white people only. I'm just pointing out that there is a bit more of a gray area here than some are allowing.
This conversation is nutty. DH grew up in a town that has a huge percentage of Mexican immigrants. Some of his best friends from high school are Mexican and they throw a huge Mexican Independence Day party every year that we love attending. We are usually the only non-Mexicans (well, DH's has some Mexican ancestry but he wasn't raised in the culture) that attend the party. One of the party fixtures every year is a photo booth where everyone pulls random dress-up clothes like sombreros, traditional Mexican clothing, goofy mustaches and poses with bottles of Tequila and other stuff. They are totally being silly with their own culture and having fun with stereotypes. I repeat...these are FIRST AND SECOND GENERATION MEXICAN IMMIGRANTS.
They always tell me what the heart rate is and I find it interesting. Early on it's so fast! And then it slows predictably as the baby grows. At this point they tell me it's good to hear the baby's heart rate speed up as it moves around and then slow when baby relaxes, because it indicates a healthy heart rate recovery and means baby isn't stressed. They apparently listen for that during labor too.
Whoa! That would be a shock! Congratulations!! My husband was so bummed when the midwife told us "there's only one in there". I have no idea why he thought we might have twins, but apparently it has been a secret hope of his. Lol.
Oh and I've read "Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way" and "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth". The Bradley one has lots of great-sounding relaxation techniques that you can practice with your spouse, so it might be a good one to use in lieu of a class. I only picked it up last week, so I doubt we'll be doing much practicing at this point. Hahaha. The Ina May Gaskin book is really empowering and is my favorite childbirth book that I've read. You come away from it feeling like you can really do it and that your body is pretty amazing and powerful.