Dec 15 - 17th / First baby!

[shmang]

I had a headache today too, but it was definitely dehydration.

I'm having a tough time drinking water (it repulses me) and I need to make sure I'm getting enough fluids.

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5191/7162776990_74e70c9405.jpg
Photo of a poor quality photo, but there's my bean! Swoon!

I don't know why but this week has flown by, I hope the next 4.5 weeks do the same. Come on 2nd trimester ! ! !

 

[LuluSS]

Awwwww so cute!!!!!! Congrats!

OMG - I have to say something funny. My mom and sister looked at my u./s photo and thought the baby was the head, and the yolk sac was the body. HAHAHAHAHAHA. I said, "if that was the case, my baby has a big ass head!"

 

[LillyLee]

So I found this woman's blog that I wanted to share with you guys. It's called The Pregnant Chicken. www.pregnantchicken.com I think. Her blog posts are HILARIOUS and her sense of humor is totally up my alley. She gets the whole pregnancy and child rearing with a grain of salt and curses a lot on her blog, but it's amazing and it gets me through the workday and makes me laugh which is awesome right now because after almost 9 weeks of having only slight nausea I'm suddenly (without any warning) puking in the most horrifying places, like Starbucks and the frozen aisle of Target.

 

[shmang]

Lulu, you don't even want to know what my bf thought the yolk sac was at first
Happy Olive day! 9 weeks. I almost can't believe it.

Lilly, I can't imagine how bad your MS must be! I really need to stop complaining about my nausea, it can't be nearly as bad as what 50% of people go through if I'm not even puking. Have you tried Preggie Pops or Gin Gin candies? I find they help my bad pings of nausea almost instantly.
I really hope you write down these stories though, they'll be great to tell when baby is older!!!


Is anyone else petrified of labour? I have these freakout moments of "omg 24 hours of contractions and then vaginal tearing?!?!?!". Must stop reading birth stories...
But I am thinking of buying Hypnobabies as I've heard great things from people trying to go the natural route.

 

[LuluSS]

I am FREAKING out about tearing or an episiotomy during child birth. I heard 80-90% of first births have tearing/cutting though, so it is inevitable. I don't really mind if I tear a little but it's the bad tears that are freaking me out. Plus, I want to try to go natural, but then I would be able to feel the stitches being put in afterwards. Ugh. I might end up caving and getting an epi anyways.

This sounds crazy - but a c-section seems less scary to me then tearing/cutting down there.

 

[LuluSS]

Oh, and YAY for 9 weeks!

We are only a few weeks away from feeling a lot better! LOL

 

[LillyLee]

Wow, I must be crazy or something. Tearing is the last thing on my mind. DH and I found a birthing center that we love and they won't do episiotomies and are pretty confident that if labor is taken slowly and in positions other than flat on back tearing is extremely avoidable. I am honestly worried about being forced into a c-section to the point where I refuse to have one and feel that doctors are lying to women about their "emergencies". I know that everyone knows someone who's been in a critical, must get this baby out now situation but I just don't trust doctors. In my opinion once they get you hooked up to the myriad of machines IV, fetal monitor, etc they can pretty much call the shots. The horror stories of doctors forcing procedures on women such as breaking their water and performing an episiotomy without even telling them really piss me off. I hate doctors, hospitals, needles, cutting, etc and I have known some women who are miserable after they have had a section. Plus you don't really get to immediately bond with your baby and there are just so many things that are unnatural. Plus honestly I would much rather have stretched lady parts (that can go back with kegels) then a scar and a "shelf" on my abdomen.

That quickly turned into an opinionated rant and I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. If you guys feel differently, about possible benefits of a c-section I am more than willing to listen.

 

[LuluSS]

Oh I agree with you Lilly. I was just comparing REALLY bad tears/cuts to a c-section. I have heard of women getting tears all the way to their butt! I know the lady parts will go back to normal. But having a tear that big is scary. I think a c-section is very scary as well. But something about a cut in your stomach doesn't seem as bad as a really bad cut in your lady parts. But they are both bad. Oh well, no turning back now! LOL

I feel VERY comfortable with my doctor. I have Kaiser and I heard they have once of the lowest c-section rates. I hope they have a tub because I REALLY want to try to do a water birth. But we will see.....

 

[shmang]

Lilly, I agree 100% and also plan on going natural. And lulu, Im talking to my midwife next week so I'm hoping a water birth is an option in the hospital I'll be delivering in!

Doctors forcing women into c-sections is terrifying. The hospitals here run ~30% c section rates on average. Yikes!
My sister inlaw was persuaded into inducing early due to slow growth and my niece was born (after an awful labour, resulting in a c-section) at just over 6 pounds. She was regretting the early delivery until she found out almost a month later that part of the placenta had died. Now she knows that listening to the doctors was the best thing she could have done.

I feel like/hope that going with a midwife, my best interests will be in mind- even if it is a long labour conflicting with her schedule.

I definitely don't want a c-section, and I don't care about having a loose vajay- I just don't want a third or fourth degree tear. Being cut open is simply not an option as everything I've read suggests cutting=more severe tearing. Ugh.

 

[LillyLee]

Yeah I talked to my mom about her experience with cutting. This story is way TMI but here goes. She was cut and continued to tear with all three of us kids and all of her labors were strong pitocin induced. We were also all full term, large babies (8lb10oz, 8lb7oz, and 9lb5oz). When she was in her mid 40's her cervix began to collapse (I think this is the term) and they went in at that point, gave her a complete hysterectomy, bladder and bowel reconstruction. She was in so much pain and I was in my late teens at this point so I remember it really well. I was also 13 when my brother was born and I remember them giving her the epi and me not being able to stop watching as it was the most horrifying thing I had ever seen. The doctor kept telling her that the baby was going to be really small, less than 7 pounds since she was only 38 weeks and then she pushed out an almost 10 pound kid. They were also short staffed at the hospital and since she was pretty much dead from the waist down I had to hold up one of her legs. So that in itself makes me not want an epidural because you are physically unable to do anything for yourself at that point.

 

[Lauraandbaby]

Hello ladies! hoping i can join you too? I'm 9 weeks with baby #1 Congrats to you all. xxx

 

[LuluSS]

I agree - I'd rather tear then get cut! Tearing is natural and for some reason it seems like it would heal faster and nicer then a cut.

Wow Lily - I can't believe what happened to your mom!

I am scared now lol. I really wish I could have a water birth. Ughh....I am going to ask my doctor about it. DH is ok with a water birth but does not want me at home in case something happens. If all else maybe the hospital will just let me stand in the shower lol.

 

[LuluSS]

Hello ladies! hoping i can join you too? I'm 9 weeks with baby #1 Congrats to you all. xxx

Hello! Congrats on your pregnancy!

 

[shmang]

Hi Laura,
Congratulations! How has your pregnancy been so far?

Lily, that's awful! I've heard of organ prolapse like that before. Women who have had babies are much more likely to encounter this. :S

Lulu, up here most hospital delivery rooms have baths/jacuzzis but I don't know about birthing pools. I'm hoping so! I'd assume it's the same as the US and you'll at least get to labour in a bath if you want to.

I bought a journal yesterday to document the next 7 months. It's amazing how much you can pour into a book in early pregnancy. So many hopes/unknowns. I have to keep it PG though as I'd like to give it to the babe some day anyone doing anything similar? I also have a tumblr but I haven't updated it lately. I want to get back on that.

Yesterday I noted how my MS has been good as of late. Big mistake. Today has been awful. I spent an hour with my mouth watering for sure I was going to vom. Thankfully I still haven't! Lol.

 

[LuluSS]

I don't think it is common for hospitals in the U.S. to have bathtubs. No one I know has ever labored in a bathtub. All of them were on the bed, with IV's and epi's.

U.S. births are a lot different. Have you ever seen "The Business of Being Born"? That pretty much sums up birth in America lol.

A journal sounds like a great idea! But I don't even have energy to fold my laundry or study. So adding something extra right now, probably isn't a good idea.

 

[shmang]

I did see the Business of Being Born. What an eye opener! It definitely reinforce my plan of no unnecessary intervention. I have my next midwife appt next week so I guess that's when I'll find out how realistic my expectations are, lol.

I noticed yesterday that I can't really "suck it in" anymore. I guess my uterus is starting to take up too much room. No bump, but I have a paunch now that I can't be bothered to care about anyone starting to show early, yet?

 

[LuluSS]

I am still just bloated. I wake up looking skinny in the morning, but the first thing I eat I bloat up like a balloon. And then I am like that the rest of the day lol.

Also, I think my hips got wider. I have very narrow hips. They stick out forward instead of out on the sides. I noticed that it is hard for me to button up my pants. And not because of my bloat, just because I feel wider. Weird!

 

[LillyLee]

I haven't really noticed anything. In the morning I still look pretty flat with a tiny rounded tummy really low. When I would previously (before being pregnant) eat big meals it would pooch out my stomach up high, but now by the end of the night there's a definite bump that sits very low. Also, I've lost almost 6 pounds but my boobs are huge and I no longer feel comfortable wearing my older panties because I feel like they creep in a lot now and don't cover everything. They are supposed to be boyshorts but have basically become cheekies which I hate. I actually broke down and bought maternity panties and they fit so much better now so obviously my butt is expanding.

 

[LuluSS]

HAHA Our bodies are expanding everywhere! I thought it would just be the belly! I am scared now.....lol

 

[shmang]

So my work khakis were loose last week, and after losing a pound I can barely do them up this week. I get the expansion thing