FEBRUARY HEARTS Due in February 2015 , open group all welcome!

[xxshellsxx]

Feronia i hope the magnets pass quickly for DD! Don't worry about the general i know so many children who have had those (including me and my nephew) and no problems (my nephew is actually working academically nearly 2 years above his age in school) x

Melly.... our birth plans are almost identical lol I have more research to do on tearing v's cutting

Happy V day ladies

I have my first antenatal classes tonight - the next 4 tuesday evenings will be taken up with learning how to bring these babies into the world with the hope that i can deliver naturally (stay head down boys!)

 

[SurpriseBub]

Oooo lots of you are doing classes already. I hope we can do a three day birth course in Dec or Jan. We also want to do infant cpr and I will do a breastfeeding course annoyingly our hospital has a scattered approach to releasing class dates and they fill up quickly, so will just have to keep my eye on the options. we are doing a hospital tour in 2 weeks. I think it will start to feel real then!

Has anyone else's movement changed? I feel the same thumps, but some other jittery things now too. I guess she is bigger, so I can feel more subtle movements. Curious if some of those movements are hiccups!

Also- does anyone else get sharp internal twinges? ...I think she thumps my cervix every so often.

 

[Megamegan]

Infant CPR class is a great idea, thank you for sharing that! I have to remind myself there's going to be an actual tiny child to take care of after the pregnancy is over, lol!!

 

[Feronia]

Thank you, it really helps to hear that others have had general anaesthesia young. It sounds like the risks are highest when under 2, and she's 2 next month. I am just hoping like crazy that they don't get caught and cause a problem that requires surgery. MIL is shaming us over baby-proofing without knowing the situation, which is the last thing we need right now. I was a bawling mess while they strapped her down for the x-ray and heard her cry. I couldn't be in there since I'm pregnant, but I held her while they put in the IV and sedated her and it was awful...
Toddlers, I tell you... Newborns are so much easier!

 

[Captain]

Sending lots of hugs Feronia, I'm sure everything will be fine!

Huckleberry, yes it is good news! At least for now, if they clear him to go back to work next week then he'll have to find work. I really can't see him being cleared yet though, he's a welder and has to meet certain physical requirements to return to work which he definitely doesn't meet yet. So fingers crossed he will continue to be paid to stay at home with me and bump

 

[swanxxsong]

I haven't worked on my formal birth plan, but it's pretty simplistic. My midwife supports birth plans, but also has told me that she so often sees women stray from them. She recently had someone who was insistent she was hypnobirthing alone and under no circumstance was anyone to help her at all... until she went into labor and threw that out the window and begged for her support people to be there for her. So she told me to enter with an open mind, which I didn't do as well the first time, therefore I know I need to do so this time! But I have a few loose things in my head, just didn't narrow it down much beyond that!

Feronia I am so sorry! Toddlers are such anxiety-creating little critters, I swear! I'm sure she'll be fine, but I understand all the fears. Google... is definitely not our best friend in situations like this. I'll be thinking of you guys and praying that she passes it quickly and without issue! Tell MIL to shove it -- like an accident never happened on her watch with her kids? Sheesh. I really hate when people make you feel worse about something about which you already feel terrible and something so innocent as an accident.

I fully support what Raspberry said -- educated decisions. Going in with knowledge of your options is, in my mind, the best thing you can do. It'll help you feel in control and then no matter what choice of pain relief you choose -- water, massage, epidural, other meds, etc. -- you'll feel confident in your choice. It's all so personal, but knowing all of what was offered at the hospital, and now at the center, it helps me to know what is available to me and how to create a 'birth plan' accordingly.

Have fun at your class tonight Shells!

Surprise I get lots of sharp cervical pains. Little beast does a number on occasion. I can't really describe hiccups, but A got them daily. It's a very unique experience!

I had a great appointment today! My BP was perfect, she praised my minimal weight gain and all looks great. I go back on the 18th for my next appointment and GD test. She's letting me "take a pass" so to speak. I don't have to fast, just eat as I normally would. 45 minutes before my appointment, I just need to drink 16 ounces of Tropicana OJ and don't eat after drinking it. She said it's the best she can do within the guidelines and legalities of the center and such, and I'm okay with it. Anything's better than that awful glucose drink that I had with my daughter, and I happen to like OJ. LOL. After that, it's 2 week appointments -- can hardly believe I'm to that point already! Time is flying! I feel great about my appointment, only sad thing is that I'm still on pelvic bedrest and they determined I better stay on such until 36 weeks. She said better safe than sorry with my history... and I understand. But man. I always want what I can't have........ TMI, sorry!

 

[RaspberryK]

Swan - I'm so glad you have an alternative to the gtt :-D

Xx

 

[savvysaver]

SurpriseBub, I think over the last week the movements I feel are changing. They seem to be stronger and I can feel things that feel like wiggles. Also I don't know if one twin turned since I feel movement up higher than before. I still wish I could figure out who was moving, most things I feel are in the middle. I get excited when I feel a thump on the side.

Swan, that is great that your doctor is letting you do a modified gtt! That sounds so much better than the orange drink.

Feronia, any news on the magnets yet? Hoping you see them soon.

 

[MissEyre]

Feronia - so sorry to hear about your daughter. I hope she's passes the magnets quickly. For what it's worth, I had my first surgery at 6 months. No lasting effects - lol, I'm sure a few people would disagree. Please keep us updated.

My birth plan is still being formed as I read up on options. Here's what appeals to me right now
- laboring at home for as long as possible
- laboring as much as possible in a warm bath
- possible epidural (I will be filling out all paperwork ahead of time so I can decide in the moment). I'm still looking into other pain management methods.
- immediate skin to skin
- delayed cord clamping
- Only me, DH, and hospital staff in room while I'm laboring

I haven't looked much into the tearing vs. cutting issue. I'll have to look a little more into it. I'm also pretty open to the idea that everything in the plan may have to change. I have no idea of what to expect, so I'm OK with the fact that I might not get everything that I think I want. I'm trying to be very zen about the whole thing.

 

[ttc126]

Ah it's been an extremely eventful day over here... thought I'd update everyone...

So yesterday at triage they randomly did some blood work to check my antibody levels. As you all probably remember I have an antibody i somehow got last pregnancy....anti-kell. So my antibody level was low, hubby tested negative. They measure levels in titres and anything over 16 is monitored anything under is ok. Mine was 8 throughout until yesterday. Suddenly it's 64 which is extremely high. So now we think the baby may somehow be kell-positive but regardless, i am having to see a perinatologist (think they're called MFMs in UK).

I was surprised when my ob herself called me tonight and she's already scheduled everything. I go tomorrow at 1:45. I'm sure it's a better safe than sorry situation but it's still a little stressful. So that's where we're at. On the upside i get a really cool ultrasound tomorrow! On the downside, my plans for not as many scans is out the window.

Hope everyone is doing ok!

 

[ttc126]

A quick thought on tearing vs cutting...i had a 2nd degree tear last time. I healed much faster than my friend with an episiotomy and I had more stitches than she did...

I've always heard tears heal easier. Although my personal recommendation is to do peri massage so less chance of tearing altogether

 

[SurpriseBub]

That sounds tough, ttc. Do you think you got it from a blood transfusion last time? Big hugs, and hopefully all goes super smooth tomorrow wonderful that your doc could get you in so quickly.

 

[ttc126]

Thanks surprise

I do think it came from there it's just almost impossible to tell because i had my son then two days later got the transfusion so could have been either one... confusing!!!!! I'll update tomorrow

 

[SurpriseBub]

It never ceases to amaze me how complex our physiology is! Similarly, I have been shocked by how much of a whole experience pregnancy has been. I expected the big belly and some nausea, but not changes to pretty much every part of me!

Hope it goes well Tmr

 

[Feronia]

ttc126, I hope all goes well tomorrow with your scan! Yes, keep us updated! That must be really stressful...

No news on the magnets. DD is sooo tired and has been sleeping for 3 1/2 hours now, which is nuts. I'll say that nothing causes one to reexamine one's life quite like combing through feces with a plastic fork in a Whole Foods parkade. I sure hope they pass soon though!

I saw my midwife today, and baby is fine (thankfully -- I haven't felt kicks in a few days since I've been so busy I guess). Heartrate 140. The poor student midwife couldn't hear the heartrate on the fetoscope, but DH and I could (even with my wonky ear right now). Baby is breech though. She said it's not a big deal at this point, but I'm going to start doing spinning babies exercises for that and if baby is still breech at 30 weeks, I'll go to acupuncture as per her recommendation.

I think I shared this before, but here's my birth plan: https://www.dropbox.com/s/wd4wq9f4e8o73q0/birth plan.png?dl=0 I created it with this visual birth plan tutorial -- it was fun! https://combatbootmama.com/2014/06/25/creating-your-visual-birth-plan/

Tearing is usually a lot better that getting an episiotomy, and I've heard quoted somewhere (maybe Ina May? Too tired to double check) that episiotomies are only necessary 1 in 1,000 times! There are plenty of natural things you can do to lesson your risk of tearing, too (e.g. not being you your back, warm water, oils, avoiding directed pushing, pushing slowly and in between contractions, etc.) I didn't tear at all with DD and I hope I don't again this time as well!

 

[swanxxsong]

Thanks Raspberry, me too! That glucose drink... I just can't handle. OJ I can do! I don't mind the blood draw part and I know their intentions are good. I just... yuck. If I can avoid getting sick, that's what matters to me!

Hugs TTC!

I don't know about everywhere else, but both practices where I've gone here, cutting is done in .0001% of deliveries. I had a tear, it healed pretty quickly and honestly, the pain wasn't tragic. But I have heard great things about peri massage and think I need to go that route sooner than later this time! lol

Feronia glad you can have a chuckle over digging through dirty mess to search for magnets. I hope they're recovered soon!

 

[ttc126]

Feronia, you crack me up! I do really hope your dd is ok and passes them soon!

Thanks for the happy wishes for tomorrow everyone

 

[crysshae]

I have so much to catch up on in here. Work has been very busy lately and I haven't had time to read much.

I saw the specialist Friday, and I don't have placenta previa. Praise the Lord. And this tiny one finally cooperated. It's a boy!

I hope you are all doing well and that I can catch up on the thread over a few days.

 

[SurpriseBub]

Congrats on your baby boy, Crysshae!

I wonder if your daughter was puzzled by your fork adventures, Feronia! I hope they turn up shortly.

Why do they do the terrible orange drink if a coke or oj does the same job?! Ahhhhh well, here's hoping I find it delicious on Friday for my GTT

 

[MellyH]

ttc, I hope the scan goes well tomorrow - it sounds scary but thankfully they caught it now! Do you know what it means going forward?

When would I start perineal massage?

crysshae - CONGRATULATIONS on a baby boy. How awesome