Blue yoga pants - the same brand or just “yoga pants”? I’d heard about them over the years, but they always were brightly colored flourecent things with stripes that apparently were made to be worn rolled down as low as possible to flaunt your belly button and thong strings.
Found them randomly on a clearance rack at Target, and, well, I’m sold. I’ll probably buy one size up for an eventual gestational growth spurt as well. (I’m a planner)
Well, another OB appointment down - only a few more to go! Here’s my biweekly email, edited for anonymity:
We had another uneventful appointment. (I like these uneventful appointments.) My weight was actually down about 1/2 a pound, which they didn’t seem concerned about. Blood pressure was OK. I didn’t ask for my belly measurement this time (just forgot - I do that some times), but did ask for a heart rate. Baby Z was over on the right side this time, and had a heart rate of 155 - 160.
I will have another appointment on 3/14, then 3/28, after which I will switch to WEEKLY appointments. It’s getting closer and closer! At 36 weeks, they will do a Group B Strep test, which is standard procedure. Let’s all keep our fingers crossed that it’s negative - otherwise I’ll have to be hooked up to an IV line through my labor and delivery so I can get antibiotics, and I don’t wannna be hooked up to an IV! Dr. B said that it’s up to me whether or not I want to start up internal exams at that time. He doesn’t really seem to care if I have them or not, but he said that a lot of women just want to know if they’re dilated at all because by that time, they are ready to be done with pregnancy and have that baby!
Hubby is going to finish putting up the trim in Baby’s room this weekend. My mom has already given us her gift - it’s a lovely white-painted wooden rocking chair. She found it last weekend, and didn’t want to wait to give it to us. Just like a mom! So, after we get one last thing out of the room and get the bookshelf in there, we will be as ready as we can be (you know, without a crib mattress and all). We’ve got an unused shelf that Hubby is thinking of sanding and painting so that we can have a lamp above the dresser. It’s coming together!
We did go to Menard’s last night and buy the trim, nails, and hand saw so Hubby can get to crackin’ on that this weekend. It’s going to look really nice once it’s all done. I might have to post a few pictures!
My baby shower is in just over two weeks, and we’re pretty sure we’ve got everything covered for it. As opposed to one person taking the reins and doing it all, it’s being done “by committee,” I guess. I created and mailed the invitations, my SIL is bringing the cake, Hubby’s cousin is doing the decorations, a friend is doing the games (and prizes), and my mom is doing the food. We’re having it at my in-law’s house, since they have a 21 x 22 sunroom and a nice open floorplan downstairs (they recently remodeled). Plus, they’re like a mile of off the interstate. I’m going to ask SIL about who has and hasn’t RSVP’d when we see her tonight.
Anyway, two more weeks down, and about eight to go! :eek: :eek: :eek:
OH - and since we don’t know the gender, we’ve got some Baby Name Finalists:
Hannah Ellen
Cecilia Ellen
OR
Spencer Philip
Kyle Philip
We could totally change our minds, though. Those are the finalists for right now.
21 WEEKS–just found out it is a BOY!! I’m very happy about that. The women in my family have just terrible tempers. 
The first time I went for the ultrasound the Drs were running late and the technician went home. I was completely devastated and broke out in tears. I had to wait one more day–but she did give me a ton of pictures and a DVD which I now know every second of–and have emailed it to everyone I know.
I’m really filled out (they tell me I look more like 26 weeks) but am finding myself feeling a little lonely. I don’t have any family here and my husband just started a new job and is totally absorbed with that at the moment, so I spend a lot of time alone. Luckily Girls Scout Cookies came yesterday so I will get through somehow!
If any of you can get access to a pool, I highly recommend it. It was so nice to float around…though when I finally got out of the water, I really realized just how heavy I am!
Another update:
Five weeks and six days (or so) to go!
We had another nice, boring OB appointment yesterday. BP is fine (120/70), weight is OK (up 4.5 pounds!!!), belly measuring well (32.5 cm) and heartrate sounds good (150-155). Since some folks have started to ask, I asked Dr. B and as of my appointment, Baby was head down with his/her back along my left side and limbs stretching to the right.
This makes sense to me, because I can ususally feel a lump down low and one up high with a large, firm area on the left. But sometimes s/he is completely transverse and very, very low. Dr. B’s not concerned about Baby’s position yet, so I’m not either. It’s kind of funny now to think that I can poke my kid’s butt already. I was always hoping that I wasn’t getting an eye or anything. Most of the kicks seem to be on the right these days - and they are starting to get pretty forceful. Sometimes I wonder what in the heck this kid is DOING in there! And then I wonder if s/he’s going to flail around like that on the outside, too.
Somebody “stole” my usual 4:00 on Tuesday appointment, so my next visit will be 3/30 at 3:15. I get tested for Group B Strep, but other than that, it will be more of the same. I’ll check in with you then!
sj2, congrats on your boy!
Avarie, I can’t believe you’re so close - that baby’s going to be here before you know it.
Exciting stuff on this end, I tell you. Last Friday, I ended up with an ER visit via paramedic from work due to nearly passing out and vomiting in the office. Fun stuff. Turns out it was either food poisoning or an intestinal bug, and Monday let me start eating solid food again.
18 weeks tomorrow, with an ultrasound on April 7 to determine sex and do measurements and all that fun stuff. I’ve also felt a few kicks - he/she is kicking me in very odd places, so it’s almost painful at times, but I like feeling it. I was shocked to feel it so early (I was just shy of 17 weeks when I felt it), but I’m glad - it’s definitely the baby because the little kicking sensations come right where I hear the heartbeat with my Doppler. And I’ve noticed that ice cream or Fruity Pebbles make him/her kick a little more 
.
E.
I felt this baby right around 17 weeks - but I had to lay on my stomach perfectly still in bed in order to do it! If I really want to get Junior going, I have a cup of coffee or some caffeinated soda (my OB said a little bit was OK).
Sorry to hear about the puking - it always sucks!
I’m 38 weeks and one day…any day now! My ligaments are killing me, my feet are a little swollen and my blood pressure is a bit high for me (130/80…I usually have really low bp). I’m having some crampiness. Oh, and I have some weird rash on my ribs which they can’t figure out. Lots of fun. I’m sooooooo ready for this kid to be here. We’re all set - car seat installed, bags packed, crib up in our room, etc. If I drop out of sight for a few weeks, you know where I am!
I’m almost 13 weeks now. I’ve gottent through the deadly sleep-zombie period, and now feel pretty normal. I got a quick look at my new kid a few days back at the OB visit (my OB uses ultrasound for heartbeat- yay pictures!), and it was really amazing how much different this baby’s profile looks than my son’s did at the same age.
I’m starting to actually feel pregnant now, but still no baby fever. The second one around just isn’t as exciting, I guess. We’re more excited about the potential for our older kid to become potty trained.
Otherwise, I continue to have a pretty boring pregnancy. And I’m down with that.
We are really getting close to the wire here! Baby Z seems to be gestating along just fine. It’s MOM who has had some ailments recently.
Last Monday and Tuesday, I was down with an intestinal bug that made me feel so bad I called my Mommy to come and hold my hand and pat my forehead (no, I’m not kidding!). I left work on Monday after less than 2 1/2 hours, and I didn’t go in on Tuesday. I didn’t feel like I was back to 100% health until Friday.
Then on Sunday, I did something that tweaked my sciatic nerve. My right hip and leg were a little sore all day on Monday, but when I got home, I really cranked something the wrong way. It felt like I had a hot poker inserted in my right hip that ran all the way down to my ankle. I couldn’t walk without assistance and spent the evening flat on my back. Thankfully, I had already planned on re-heating leftovers for dinner, so I didn’t have to spend too much time crawling on the kitchen floor (again - not exaggerating!) to get food ready. I was a little sore on Tuesday, and A-OK by Wednesday.
But on Wednesday, I started coughing. Not much, and not often, but it’s a deep chest cough that hurts (down in my lungs - not so much in my throat) and occasionally brings up a little phlegm. Lovely, no? Dr. B thinks it’s probably a virus, and told me it could last for up to 2 weeks. This sounds like what my boss had about a month ago. If I start to get really phlegmy, they might try an antibiotic. It’s getting worse every day. 
Anyway - I had an appointment yesterday. I only gained a pound in the last two weeks (yay!), so that makes a total of 28.5 pounds so far. My BP was 106/68. Baby’s heartrate was 145. I forgot to ask for my belly measurement (I’ll double-check next week). They did an external swab for group B strep, and I figured since I was already undressed from the waist down that he might as well check me. No dilation or effacement, but Baby’s head is definitely down (he could feel it). My cervix is starting to soften, but it’s still very posterior. So, just right for 36 weeks.
I have my next three appointments already scheduled - 4/5, 4/13, and 4/19. If I go longer than that, they’ll have to work me in for more appointments. Supposedly, that’s not a big deal and they do it all the time. We’ll see!
Avarie, you are so close - are you ready?
You didn’t find out the sex, right? So everything’s really a surprise at birth.
Hope the GBS test came back negative for you!
I’m here, too - 20 1/2 weeks and heading for my big u/s on Friday morning! I can’t wait - mainly because I’m ready to pick out bedding and I’m tired of buying clothes in green and yellow. It’s funny, when I first got pregnant, I told ElzaHub that I didn’t want to know the sex until birth - he desperately wanted to know - so I agreed to find out. And now I can’t wait to find out what’s in there.
Been having weird pains - I’m chalking it up to round ligament pains for now because it seems to happen when I get up too fast or move weird. I’m wondering if they’re Braxton-Hicks, too - but I’m not getting that hardening of the belly that’s supposed to come with them. Hoping they’ll go away - I’m drinking more water to see if that helps.
I’m also having wicked mood swings - one minute I’m cracking myself up, the next minute, I’m ready to throw the postage machine against a wall. And my usually nice co-workers are bugging me for some reason. Not their fault - totally mine - but I want to throw stuff at them. I think ElzaHub’s going to bear the brunt of it tonight.
Yay Avarie! Didja know that if you squat down, you too can feel the baby’s head internally? Just remember to wash your hands.
I’m cruising along and visiting every bathroom I find. I’m dying to know what we’re having, and I suspect it’s a girl.
Okay, small venting.
I am seeing a midwife. I am seeing a midwife for a variety of reasons, but mainly because I like the ‘less intervention’ approach. She let us decline the triple screen, which I was fine with (I’ve done too much research on it and seen a few false positives, so I didn’t think it was important enough to worry when we don’t have any risk factors). She spends time with us discussing the pregnancy, discussing our concerns, and we never feel like we’re being rushed in and rushed out. She’s a NURSE PRACTITIONER, and she is very, very qualified. She also works in affiliation with another doctor, so there’s always backup.
So why is it that every time someone finds out that I’m seeing a midwife, they say “OH, you’re having the baby at home??”.
When did a midwife become synonomous with a homebirth??? :smack:
I never thought that when someone told me that they were seeing a midwife. WTF?
After finding out Mrs. Labtrash was expecting (at 6:38am on June 13, 2005 - one heck of a wake-up, I’ll tell ya!) and several visits to the OB GYN, our due date was set at March 1st.
Jacob Robert “Labtrash” was born Feb 2, 2006 to a VERY surprised couple. I then spent the VERY early hours searching for all the baby & mommy stuff I hadn’t yet picked up. Wasn’t much, but had to go to a couple different places to get it all.
Moral: Have everything you need ready, packed, installed, stored & stocked up WELL before the due date!
I hated the snickers I got in the hospital parking lot while wrestling an infant car seat into our van…
Congratulations! Please post pics. Since you probably have a lot of spare time right now
Hmm, in my hopelessly out of touch province, midwives cannot attend births at the hospital and we have no birthing centers. Perhaps areas like mine are part of the reason for the confusion?
I don’t know if home births are legal here either. I didn’t look into it though, it’s just something I heard.
I had a doula and that took a lot of explaining too.
I think it surprised me - I’ve never really associated midwives with ONLY home births, you know?
Well, we had an ultrasound today - baby is measuring perfectly, at 20 weeks and 4 days (I’m 20 weeks and 6 days), all looks good, and we are having a sweet little baby boy:D. I’m ecstatic - I’ve been swearing through the whole pregnancy that it’s a girl, and I really thought I wanted a girl - but now I can’t imagine him being anything other than a boy and I can’t wait to meet him:). My entire family was shocked - they ALL thought it was a girl, too. He’s going to have a boy cousin just 9 or 10 months older than he is, so it’s perfect:).
E.
Here in Indiana, “midwife” is practically a bad word. Certified nurse-midwives are legal, but lay midwifery is not. There was a recent case where a lay midwife was involved with a home birth where the baby died. Even though the baby would not have survived if it had been born in a hospital with the newest, best, latest, and greatest NICU equipment, she was put on trial and (IIRC) convicted.
Here in Indianapolis (a metro area of over 1 million) we have exactly ONE CNM-staffed non-hospital birthing center. I didn’t even bother trying to find a midwife. I went with a good 'ol OB/GYN. Thankfully, he’d rather intervene as little as possible, and is pretty non-chalant at my appointments.
And people do have weird ideas about midwives - they don’t realize that most of them are required to have a back-up OB and a hospital affiliation (depending on the laws of the state).
How can a homebirth be illegal? So long as no one is claiming to practice medicine or be a midwife, what would someone be charged with? Accessory to homebirth, resulting in a happy family?? That’s just ridiculous.
Anyway - I had another appointment on Wednesday. Things are rolling along just fine. I’m not really dilated - just a fingertip. Baby sounds good and my belly’s growing well. Other than a two-day intestinal virus, three days of sciatica, and a WEEK of horrid coughing, sneezing, and exhaustion (all since 3/20), this has been a really easy pregnancy. My OB scripted me some Zithromax and Codiclear for this nasty nasty cough. SOMETHING is working - I don’t know which, but my cough has dramatically dropped off and I can sleep at night. (Well, as much as I can with my 3-4 pee trips per night.)
Well, another week down, another appointment under my belt. I’ve not gained any weight, and my BP was just fine. My belly measured 38cm, so we’re right on track there. Dr. B examined me, and said that although my cervix is still very posterior, that I’m dilated a good 1.5 - 2 cm!! He stripped my membranes a little bit, which did NOT feel very nice. So really, any time now! He actually said that maybe the Easter Bunny would be bringing us a baby this year.
I was going to pack my bag last night, but we ended up going grocery shopping at Sam’s Club and Kroger, and weren’t home until 10:00. I needed a little TV before bed to relax. I haven’t felt any contractions at all, so who knows!