December Snowflakes 2014 ***Come and join!!***

[No Doubt]

Nothing special about how much I want to eat. But I have been craving different things I normally don't...like hot sauce, chocolate cake, and jot just any chocolate cake, his very specific cake I had thought for a girl on my team for her birthday.

Two weeks until third tri! Can't believe how fast it's gone! Hopefully I'll remain fairly comfortable in third tri...so far, so good.

 

[Ziggie]

Glad you're doing well sabs!! I'm snacking a lot more, I tend to graze all day!!! I'm more thirsty than anything though!! I also eat a LOT more sugary stuff. My sweet tooth has exploded. I was all about the savoury before.

 

[HelenJane]

I'm due a boy on 23rd December!!

 

[No Doubt]

I'm a lot more thirsty too...been drinking everything in sight!

Welcome and congrats Helen.

 

[Conina]

According to my pregnancy app they're putting on loads of weight over the next few weeks, so maybe that's why the hunger is kicking in. Zig, I'm with you on the sweet tooth, and I'm normally a savoury type!

As for dreams, I wish! That would mean I was sleeping...

 

[No Doubt]

Yeah, they're definitely growing a lot more right now.

I should have listened to myself. I thought I was gonna pass out in church today! I went out into the foyer and had some water and almost instantly felt better. Ladies please stay hydrated right now.

 

[dovkav123]

Yes, stay hydrated! It may reduce your strech marks!

We went to our local hospital for a birth info. I found only couple negative thing about this clinic.
1. You can't get to know your midwife ahead of time, so you don't know who will be with you at birth. In U.S. the same midwife does the prenatals check ups and assists with a birth.
Another sad thing is that all midwives are booked till December, but a good news is that this wonderful midwife we talked to gave us her tel. nr and she would stop by if we need her.

It is a small hospital, they have 2 birthing rooms and 8 other rooms. This town has 50.000 people. The good thing that in the end of December there are no many births. Ussually summer is the bussiest time.
They do 5-10% unplanned c-sections, there goal is to go far as you can to birth naturally.
2. The midwife I talked to doesn't recommend staph testing at 36 weeks, cos at birth you may not be positive any more and you take anitbiotics for nothing. Midwive will come to our house and check on possible baby's infection.
3. Baby never leaves the parents after the birth.
4. After the birth my husband will cut baby's umbilical cord and the baby stays on my chest for 1-2 hours and than, later, he gets his exam.
5. Baby will get his vit K shot to prevent bleeding in his brain, cos extreme pressure on his skull during the birth.
6. Hip exam after the birth will be done to rule out hip dysplasia, my cousin has a baby with this problem and dr. didn't diagnose, my cousin noticed this condition.
7. Family room may be available if we are lucky. You can't book it ahead of time. It is a beautiful suite with a queen size bed and baby crib.
If a family or a single room is not available, if the midwife is nice she may let my hubby sleep on the coach in the visiting room.
8. Water birth! They have a tub! I am excited about that one! They have water proof heart monitors and yes! they have cordless monitors, you can move around as much as you want.
9. Laughing gass is the most popular here in this hospital. It relaxes you, help right away and goes out of your system right away. So you won't be flying when the baby is in your arms! I have never used it. I am bit worried but we'll see. Also O2 and aromatherapy and acupuncture could be used for pain management.
10. This clinic will not apply antibiotics on the baby's eyes, cos it can really irritate them and he can't see mommy clearly.
11. Midwife will do all the birth, dr. will come in if there is a problem

Now my plan is to get an appoinment for a birth preparation classes, I hope I am not too late! Should I make appointment 1-2 months before the birth? I would like to have all info still fresh for the birth.

Another plan is to visit a bigger hospital in Heidelberg. They also have a birth center in the same building. I am interested in that!

Tomorrow we are going to our 21 week u/s. Excited!

 

[Conina]

Dovkav-that's the first time I've seen an explanation of why they need vit k! Not that I was ever going to refuse it, but I've always wondered!

 

[Ziggie]

I had a really sharp stitch like pain across my bellybutton area today. Came quick and went quick but really hurt! Anything to worry about?

 

[No Doubt]

Dov, that's a lot to take in. Decisions!

Nothing to worry about I don't think. I used to get those with my son. Could be the muscles stretching, especially everything around your belly button, that can be painful for some.

AFM I started getting Braxton hicks a few weeks back and thought it was a bit early, but apparently your uterus contract pretty much your entire pregnancy...you just don't always feel it. I never really felt it with my son. He'd just start going nuts in there and it touch my belly and see that it was really hard. But this time around I definitely feel them! Some are even really uncomfortable in my lady bits and lower abdomen. They feel like they're getting stronger, so who knows, but is anyone else having bh?

 

[pathos]

dovkav, due to enforced third party liability and increased expenses in their insurances , midwives are quitting their jobs or they are restricting the number of patients. it is difficult to find a midwife nowadays. we luckily secured one, and she will be the one delivering the baby and also doing the after care and rücken gym etc. I was planning to choose "the one" among many midwives I interviewed

We could not find a place in parenting courses =(((. We even called the villages, they were all booked. Since it is again the midwives that offer such courses, I highly suggest that you contact them asap - you may not have the luxury to choose a month - you will be lucky if they can squeeze you in.

I have an appointment with the birth wing at our hospital in the 32th week, and it is for a usg I should take down some notes from your post. Somehow I imagined that when the time comes I will call my midwife and if I am in labor, I will go to the hospital with her, and that's all I guess German system is more or less the same across the different states. I expect a similar policy in Lower Saxony.

ND, I had BH few times, the first was around week 16 - it was very scary, i did not know that it was BH. Lately, the contractions are stronger, all of a sudden my belly gets hard as a rock and i find it very difficult to move for 20 to 30 secs. Do you feel the same?

 

[Jennifaerie]

No Doubt, I get BH all the time. I was the same with DD. After about 30 weeks last time I would regularly have to do the whole getting in the bath thing to calm them and NSTs said I was indeed contracting at hospital but she wasn't going anywhere

I think I have a bit of an irritable uterus as it tends to happen when baby is moving a lot.

It's really interesting to hear how it all works in Germany.

 

[No Doubt]

Pathos, yes that's about right. Wait until you're further along, they will start burning. Sorry, but it's the truth. I remember having them with my son around 35ish weeks and her to go to triage for something and explained what I was feeling and she said "yep, that's about right...that's how they feel". That's not what my doc told me, so just in case your mw is saying it'll just feel tight for 30 seconds, it gets worse and longer. Mine would last a couple minutes almost. Still nothing unbearable though. I was concerned that maybe it wad the real thing, but obviously I wad mistaken when the real thing hit, lol.

 

[Conina]

Damn - started typing and then lost it all!!

I think it's really interesting to see how different all the systems are - it's so weird that there's such a variety between systems, even between here and England. In fact, even between different hospitals in the same system!!

Ok you girls are really going to have to help me out with boys' names. As I've said before, we had one boys' name last time, which we obviously had to use. If we don't come up with another, this child may well be nameless!!

Before we start, I have some ground rules

1. I don't like "modern" names. I mean, they're fine for other people, I just prefer traditional names.

2. Our surname is very short, so I think the first name should have at least 2 syllables.

3. Our surname begins with "R", so I don't want a first name beginning with R. I have a fear that if we do that the child will end up with a speech impediment!!

Go ahead...

 

[Jennifaerie]

Benjamin
Joshua
Oliver
Henry
Harry (Harry)
Frederick/ Freddie
Noah
Finley
Oscar

Our bump is going to be called Esme Veronica V is my Mum's middle name.

 

[cazi77]

We found boys names very hard. We are still team yellow so this bump will either be Joshua Thomas or Isla Imogen. Also on our boys name kid was max, Isaac, Finley and Sebastian.

 

[No Doubt]

We found boy names hard as well...this time and last time. Our boy will be Macaiah Israel and our girl be Irie Nevaeh.

 

[Cat Louise]

Hi All,

Havent been on for a while. Jennifairie sorry to hear you've been so sick please can you add me to the list as I think I was missed off. So far we are team yellow with a due date of 27th Dec. But I have my next scan tomorrow when we hope to find out if we are pink or blue, so excited thank you for setting it up.

Can I ask if anyone has chosen their pram yet? Such a hard decision, think I've decided on My Child Magnet, but bit weary as not many reviews about!

 

[cazi77]

Hi cat have just googled the pram you are looking at. It looks lovely. We already have an icandy peach 2 so have just got the kit to make it a double.

 

[pathos]

I think girl names are more difficult. There so many beautiful girl names, it is very hard to make a final decision. As to boy names, we also spilled some blood while making the decision The fight is still on regarding the middle name. I still insist on a name from the lord of the rings, and he still fiercely says no. I love Irish names, especially the ones sound like Elvish