CeeDee, not at all! I've seen horrible tears from vaginal births (did about 50 deliveries during my training) and several of my friends fractured their pelvis or sacrum that way (and have permanent sequelae years later). For me, the vaginal birth seems so much scarier! I nonetheless tried it, and it didn't work so I had an emergency C-section after 48 hours of active labour (my pelvis is too small, baby couldn't descend so I only dilated to 4 cm despite 24 hours of maximal doses of oxytocin). I healed very well, the scar is barely noticeable and I was doing sit-ups 6 weeks afterwards! I'm much more comfortable now with the trauma I went through in my attempts at a vaginal birth to go the controlled route and not let baby suffer like the first one did (her heart rate kept dipping and they were scared for her in the end).

18 weeks today!!! I've gained 10 lbs so far, which is much better than the first time around, I think I was up almost 16 lbs by this point. I started at a BMI of 19.5, so I realize I have to gain more than some women... I'm taking measurements every 4 weeks, my arms and thighs are still the same as pre-pregnancy (I worked really hard to lose the 40 lbs I had gained and only reached pre-pregnancy weight 2 weeks before I got pregnant) so I'm happy about that. My boobs have grown so much in the last 4 weeks! And my tummy, yikes!!! Will take a bump pic tonight, but this little guy had a MASSIVE growth spurt in the last week! Am now officially into maternity clothes...

Saw my reg ob today and heard the heartbeat (154 bpm!!). Happy to say that despite an all inclusive week long vacation AND Thanksgiving feast during my last ob visit, I've only gained 2 lbs (I don't need to gain a whole lot).

Tomorrow morning is my anomoly scan...YES...definitely want to find out the sex. My reg ob has already guessed boy...so we're just waiting on the experts to make it "official". Either way, I will be happy as we don't have a preference

Hope everyone is doing wonderfully this week so far

I'm terrified of having a caeser too....with my second baby when I was in labour her heart rate kept dropping with every second contraction and the midwife told me that if it happened one more time she would stop everything and I'd be taken to theatre....I burst into tears, luckily baby came right and I had a NVB.
Yesterday I saw a video of a woman having an epidural put in.....yikes!!!!!!!
I have had 2 drugfree births and hoping to have another....fingers crossed!

mababy - good luck with scan....bet its a girl!

Ooooh I loved my epi!!! Wouldn't have survived the 48 hours of labour without one. I think it's important to keep an open mind, things don't go as planned all the time and that way you don't set yourself up for disappointment...

How did your scan go Mbababy? Mine is next Tuesday!

I am scared of a Csection too and would faint if I asked for an epi! LOL.

But on the other hand, this is my 4th baby, and I know what I am in for, and this time around I am older and have fibromyalgia...so I feel pain a lot worse

true junebug, with number 3 my placenta was over my os, so midwife told me that I might need one and I prepared myself for it but at scan at 37 weeks it had moved, phew!

Dorian - how long since you had your last baby?

I guess I'm not made to have babies, my hips are too narrow and 100 years ago we both would have died...

I often think about things like that junebug....my eldest wouldn't be here if it she had been born 100 years ago.

Kirst, my youngest is 7yrs old! So it's been awhile.

Junebug, it's so amazing how wonderful technology and Drs and such have come. My first was born at week 35, he had to be on a ventilator for a few days...100 yrs ago?? I don't know if he would of made it.

Hi All...finally back from my scan.

Bad news first....the doctor found a condition with the fetus known as "persistent right umbilical vein". He didn't find any other anomolies and assured me that this was a "normal variation" and was not associated with chromosonal defects. He said in some cases it can be associated with heart defects, but they didn't see anything wrong with the heart at this point and I have to go back in 2 weeks...then monthly thereafter so they can monitor this closely. I couldn't stop myself from crying...and the doctor was a real jerk...kept saying "I TOLD you this is a NORMAL variation!! What are you CRYING for!!" Ugh.......that made me cry even more. It was awful.

The good news is that they didn't find anything else...and believe me, they really looked. Baby is measuring 1 week ahead of schedule..and has a nice strong heartbeart (154). And it is confirmed that I am TEAM . Apparently he is already a thumb sucker (see pic attached).

I'm hoping that Junebug knows something about this condition, and may be able to shed some light on it. I'm at work right now sobbing...as the more I read about this on google, the more upset I feel.