35+ TTC 1st Graduates!!! Come on Over!

[Rowan75]

congratulations anna - lovely name x

 

[lavalux]

Hey everyone, it's almost the weekend. Woo Hoo! I am reeling pretty worn out so I plan on being as lazy as possible tonight. Had a good OB appt yesterday & babies are doing well. Doctor mentioned that he would start evaluating me btn 24-26 weeks & he may want me to modify my schedule to work halfdays. I am hoping my boss will let me work at the office in the mornings & then from home in the afternoon so I don't have to take excessive leave. A co-worker who had twins 2 years ago & went to my same doctor was put on that schedule at 30 weeks but she went into labor at 32 weeks & was on a week of hospital bedrest before her girls were born. Anyway, I'm looking forward to our 20 week anatomy scan on the 20th & our little beach trip next weekend.

Hope everyone has a good day. Can't wait to see new baby pictures soon!

 

[Junebug_CJ]

Morning ladies.

Rebekah and Chris: can't believe how soon your LO's will be here! Seems like you were in first tri just last month! So excited for you!

Hope all the new mommies are doing great, can't wait to see pics

AFM: have an early scan today. I had a small bleed while in Switzerland, and my OB wonders if I may have had a missed miscarriage as I still don't have a single symptom (along with the bleed and some cramping this week). I had an hCG drawn yesterday at 6weeks 1 day, it was 31800 (which seems good to me, but the other things concern me). If no HB is seen today, then I'm to repeat hCG tomorrow to make sure it's increasing...

Lava, just realized you got married exactly 21 days before me

 

[Mommy's Angel]

Morning ladies.

Rebekah and Chris: can't believe how soon your LO's will be here! Seems like you were in first tri just last month! So excited for you!

Hope all the new mommies are doing great, can't wait to see pics

AFM: have an early scan today. I had a small bleed while in Switzerland, and my OB wonders if I may have had a missed miscarriage as I still don't have a single symptom (along with the bleed and some cramping this week). I had an hCG drawn yesterday at 6weeks 1 day, it was 31800 (which seems good to me, but the other things concern me). If no HB is seen today, then I'm to repeat hCG tomorrow to make sure it's increasing...

Lava, just realized you got married exactly 21 days before me

Oh dear. I'll be praying for you! That number seems pretty darn good. How far along are you?? Could it be implantation bleed?! Remember that fetal hb's can take as long as6, 7 to 8wks to find. I'm standing on hope in prayer for you. Please keep us posted dear friend!

Lava, I hope you can get that work load lightened for you. That would REALLY help you in the coming months when you start REALLY getting fatigued.

 

[Junebug_CJ]

Thanks MA. I'm only 6 weeks 2 days... I know there is a good chance we won't see a HB yet... I'm hoping beyond all hope that I'm extremely fortunate and that one is seen so that I can finally have some peace of mind. The last 2 weeks have been hard, I'm much more worried than I was the first time around

 

[Rowan75]

fingers crossed all is well Junebug x

 

[svetayasofiya]

fx'd for you Junebug!!!

 

[Junebug_CJ]

I am so relieved!!!!

1) HB seen!
2) Baby measures 5mm, which is bang on my dates
3) There is only 1!!!

I actually shed a few tears of relief that everthing is OK...

My CVS is booked for October 17th at 8:45 AM. So we'll know sex in 6 weeks!

Now fingers crossed first tri goes well and off I go to enjoy my (knock on wood) symptom-free pregnancy!

 

[svetayasofiya]

Oh that is fantastic news junebug!!! I am so happy for you!!!

 

[svetayasofiya]

Hi ladies... I finally finished my birthing story... I posted this in my journal, but though I'd post it here too... It's long But there are pictures at the end!!!

Ok, this has taken me weeks to write! I never get a free moment to myself. Best invention yet- baby sling. Baby sleeps on you like a kangaroo. Buys you hours!!! So my birth story...

It was a Monday and I was 39 weeks and 2 days. I woke up that morning feeling fine, just really pregnant. I had major PMS when it came to choosing something to wear for the day. Anything form fitting that I had previously worn before just agitated me so perhaps that was a sign. Anyway, so I walked to my girlfriends house (20 min.) and then we spent the afternoon running last minute errands for me. I still had to buy diapers, a nursing bra,
last minute odds and ends. I started to feel very nauseous in the afternoon, but chalked it up to her driving. On the way home I remember feeling a small 'gush' but then kind of forgot about it. IT was around 4pm when she dropped me home and I was just dying to take a nap. I went to the bathroom and my panty liner was full of clear jelly like fluid. I freaked out. In total disbelief it was my water. Then I realized it was just pouring out of me, so I put on a pad and called my friend to tell her my water broke! She was on her way back to my house because.... *drum roll please* my husband left his cell phone at home that day and was working out of the office on site somewhere so I had NO way of getting a hold of him. Within minutes my girlfriend was over and confirmed yup my water broke, let's get me to the hospital. I didn't have my bag packed or anything, so with her 5 month old breastfeeding on one boob, she was helping me pack with her free arm. To speed things along, after 1/2hr of calling around I finally managed to get a hold of my husband and told him to meet us at the hospital. There was no point in him coming to get me as it was the middle of rush hour traffic (my biggest fear). So just before 5pm we left for the hospital. My contractions had started slowly after my water broke and by this time they were 5-7 minutes apart and getting stronger, but still totally manageable. Traffic was horrendous, so my friend just drove like a wild woman and took the shoulder! We have a bridge to cross and we were going against the grain, but at rush hour it's down to two lanes instead of one to allow for a dedicated bus lane, so traffic is always worse trying to get into town between 5-7pm. After the bridge we spotted a police car and pulled over trying to get his attention. My friend asked for a police escort to the hospital! too funny. They wouldn't do it. They insisted on calling me an ambulance but we decided to take our chances with the traffic. We ended up taking a different route and got to the hospital just fine. My DH was outside waiting for us, looking like a deer caught in headlights. lol
We went up to the labour and delivery floor and checked in. I said I am in labour, lol. The nurse on the other side of the window asked me- how do you know? Well... my water broke and my contractions are 5 min. apart. They let me in, lol I had to pee in a cup for them to test and sure enough confirmed what I already knew, I was in labour. Still, it was scary having them confirm it. They got us situated in a birthing room and the rest was a whole lot of waiting. I was starving as I hadn't eaten in hours so DH got me some food. Then I sent him off to eat, because by this time it was 6:35pm, my contractions were five minutes apart and getting stronger. I was also 5cm dilated. Unfortunately he was gone for like an hour! By the time he got back I was in agony contracting every 3 min. I sat on the birthing ball but really, nothing much helped. When DH got back I got in the shower. They had this really nice multijet shower and I stayed in there for 1/2 hr 45 min. Once I got out though, the contractions were too much. It was nearly 10pm and I was done. I nearly threw up and then asked for the epidural. All my fears regarding the epidural went out the window at this point, as I just really wanted relief. The anesthesiologist was super nice, and damn hot! I felt so good after, physically and mentally I even told the Doctor I thought he was handsome, My husband was dying! Too funny. Anyways..... so hello instant relief!! The epidural was amazing. You aren't paralyzed at all. You can't walk but you can feel and move your legs. My whole wanting to be able to walk while in labour was stupid, because when you feel like that you don't want to walk, you want to crawl into a ball and die, so yeah... any of you wanting to be a hero- don't! There is absolutely no reason to suffer when something as glorious as an epidural exists.
We spent the next few hours trying to rest and watching tv on our iphone. We played 'guess the contraction' lol because I could still feel pressure and my husband was watching the monitor, so I'd be like, ohhh I think I am having one now, and he'd confirm, yup! that was a big one! lol By 3am I was fully dilated but the little munchkin was still too high up so we needed to wait for her to drop. They had been giving me pitocin already at this point to speed things along, so I think they upped it. By 5am I was ready to push! Oh boy........ no one prepares you for this stage of labour. Everyone talks about contractions and the pain of labour but hello people!!! What about the pain of delivery?!@ By this time either my epidural had worn off, or it is just useless for delivery, because I felt everything and have never in my life felt such pain. I won't go into details because there is no reason to scare anyone, and some people have no pain while pushing so there you go. After one and hour and a half out she came! They had to give me an episiotomy because her head just wasn't coming out. They also had to use some suction. Unfortunately, during delivery she had ingested some meconium so they had to spend more time suctioning out her lungs. It felt like forever before she cried. It was pretty scary actually even though in my heart I knew she was ok. They brought her to me as soon as they could so we could do skin to skin and she could nurse. She rooted for the nipple almost immediately. It's so amazing how nature just takes over. I had to keep oxygen on her (near her) for this time though because of the meconium. That sucked. Anyways..... so that pretty much sums it up! 7lbs 3oz, 20 inches beautiful baby girl. Our time in the hospital was a bit of a blur and it was so nice to get home. I can't believe she is already 3 1/2 weeks old... even though it feels like months have passed by. lol Life with a newborn. We are adjusting and love her dearly. It's alot to take in and I have been suffering from loneliness and the baby blues pretty fiercely, but it can only get better. I also got the raw end of the stick and had the infection and have been suffering from breastfeeding pain and tenderness. Now I am reacting to the antibiotics and have been breaking out in hives. I also just woke up with a yeast infection

I'll try to post some pictures below. Sorry for the long post! Just figured it's been so many weeks, it's about time I posted my story.

Baby Sophie:

One day old

Four days old

Nine days old

Happy family

Somewhere bw two and three weeks old

Proud mommy

 

[Junebug_CJ]

Awwww Chris she is beautiful and you look amazing !!!! What a great birth story, thank you so much for sharing, this has made my day

 

[Lucy1973]

Oh my gosh Sveta, she is just beautiful, so gorgeous! Thanks for sharing your birth story, you look great too!

 

[lavalux]

Svet,
Loved the story & the pics! Look at that gorgeous head of hair!

Junebug,
Yay for a HB! I'm sure you are relieved. Happy & healthy 9 months to you.

 

[Lucy1973]

Junebug, I am so over the moon for you! Hope everything goes well

 

[newmarriedgal]

wowowow, Svet!!!!! I love, love, love the pictures! what a beautiful baby....love the hair! Also, you make a lovely family, so happy for all of you. Love the birth story too, thank you for sharing!

June - thank god! I'm praying your LO grows happily!

Hi Lava! Hope you are doing well - you are one week ahead of me. How are you feeling? I've been good but this week, poppy must be on a growing spurt because I'm STARVING all the time! On my second bowl of pasta, oil, asparagus, cherry tomatoes and cheese......can't get enough this week! I'm taking it as a good sign as s/he is growing in there!

MA - I loved your post in response to mine....I, too, wish we lived closer, I think we are kindred spirits! You can understand my family trouble and that helps me know I need to just breathe and drift my mind off to a happy place. I hope you are progressing well, but not TOO fast!

How is everyone else doing? I am finishing up on a counted cross stitch I'm doing for the kitchen, about 3/4 done. when fully finished, I will have it framed and take a picture! I really have to get to the gym to get in the pool there but frankly haven't been motivated! I have a headache today and am out of tylenol! ugh!

Hello to all you ladies tonight, I'm off to finish eating then watch Project Runway!

Beth

 

[sunshine71]

Congrats, Junebug, on the good news!!

Chris - she's a beauty!!! Absolutely gorgeous! Thank you so much for sharing your story

Hi to everyone else, and I hope you're all having a great weekend!

 

[Mommy's Angel]

Oh Chris, She's ADORABLE! Holy Cats she has a whole lot of hair!! I was bald when I was born. I'm in awe at all that beautiful hair! What a beautiful family in those pics. I'm SO happy for you!

I'm keeping an open mind is all I can say. Nothing has gone as I planned and I'm taking on a more flexible mindset. It'll all play out as it's supposed to.

Speaking of that, my Doula came up with the birth plan and wrote it out. It's LOVELY! Obviously I have down all my wishes IF we get a vaginal birth.....I did write in there I didn't want drugs but will not count them out as I need them.

I think what stuck out in my mind is she wrote this beautiful introduction about us and nicely thanks the medical staff for treating us...while also letting them know I because of my past experience there, I really would like to be aware of the procedures and practices they wish to use on me. I just need to know what they're doing....I don't want them just moving in and doing what they please...which is what they keep seeming to do on labor and delivery floor. They did it this past week when they went in TWICE for a manual with the finger to check my cervix and stitch. They never made it aware two different docs would do this consecutively or I would have opted out of one.

So the Doula is faxing my Doctor the birth plan, we have 3 more copies...one for us, one for the hospital and one for whomever the Dr. will be performing whatever procedure we need for Amelia. I know that the plan isn't set in stone and again has to be something I'm flexible with....but I think the one thing I'm not willing to be flexible with is any of the medical staff going right in without explanation for one procedure or another. I'm quite pleased thus far.

Love to you all!

 

[pablo797]

morning all!!
this will be quick as my time is limited. Baby Joe is sleeping is bassinet ( not on my chest) and I don't know when she will wake up so . . .

Beth,Wow ur dad is something else. That's my politically correct way of saying something else. LOL. Hope you are well, and eat what tastes good.

MA, birth plan sounds good. Hope things are going well for you.

Svet, confess I didn't have the time to read birth story, promise I will go back and do so. Love the photos!! All that dark hair!! I too have discovered the sling, awesome! So is the noise machine that is letting me write this as baby is totally sound a sleep listening to womb noise. She is so happy. Glad someone else is in pain BFing. I will expand later,but BFing has been a trial. So now pumping lots and nipples are bleeding. Ouch! Any advice??

CJ, awesome numbers!!j so happy all is good.

Sunshine, Hi!! Denial is good. It will come when it will.

Rowan, Hi!

Skye, enjoy the freedom to eat. Hope you are well.

Austin, can't believe you had time to post! You are amazing. So happy all girls are thriving. Hope everyone is home soon. Yeh for night nurse! We have one too, her name is Anna and as she writes this is amazed how just three hrs of sleep feels really good. DH got up this am and took baby from 5-8. I am a new person as a result.

AFM, can't believe i'm this far into this post!! lJust like the birth, coming home with infant has been full of unepected events. Most important is that we found out I wasn't producing enough milk so baby wasn't getting enough food which was causing a lot of crying and dehydration. We mis read the signals,so now we're playing catch up. Howevr after a day of a lot of feeding she is back to happy and just so sweet. I feel horrible for starving her!! So we had to supplemnt with formula feeding her with bottle and syringe and now she won't succle on breast as it's more work. Ilm determined to get her back to BFing as my milk just came in and I seem to be producing more. Have been using Mothers Milk tea and have acupuncture apt this afternoon to help with production. Will post pictures soon. Favorite thing . . . She prefers to sleep on my chest, tummy to tummy. If you put her in the middle of your chest she wiggles her way up so her soft baby head is just under your chin. Soft baby hair tickkles . Totaally instinctual and just so sweet. Ok ilm of. Take care!! &??&

 

[lavalux]

Anna,
What kind of baby sling & noise machine did you get so I can put it on my registry? They sound like life safers. So glad we are getting a night nurse!!! Thanks for posting an update. Good luck with the b'feeding. Cant wait to see pics.

 

[Neversaynever]

Chris...what a beautiful beautiful girl you have...have to admit I seeing her.

Anna...huge congrats on the safe arrival of Joe

to you all

XxX