Week of 4/3/11-4/10/11 September 2011 Moms

[linden]

Looks like I was too busy either sleeping or throwing up last weekend to start a new weekly thread, so here's one for the upcoming week.

Not much new to report from here...15 weeks tomorrow. In maternity clothes all the time now...that belly is growing like crazy! Still throwing up a couple times a day and feeling tired most of the time...still waiting for that alleged burst of energy that the second trimester brings. My next OB appointment is 4/15 when I'll be 16w5d...can't wait to hear that heartbeat again! Told my supervisor and principal that I'm pregnant and due in September, but haven't made an announcement to the rest of the school building yet. I might do that this week, or I might wait until after our April break just to make sure everything goes well at the next OB appointment. With Sophie, I never told anyone I was pregnant (the 2 miscarriages scared me too much) and then I ended up on bedrest at 16w and that's how they all found out. What a crappy way to announce you're expecting!

How is everyone doing?

[DMS721]

Hi Linden. I was getting worried about you since you hadn't posted in awhile. Sorry to hear you are still so sick.

I'm plugging along. I will be 16 weeks on Monday, and have my next ob appointment on Thursday. My all day sicknes has started to ease up, but it is not completely gone yet. As for the exhaustion, that is still as strong as ever. I think part of it is due to havng a toddler to chase around as well. Even tough I know I souldn't, I have already started buying stuff for the baby (Zachary William will be his name). I've pretty much told everyone that I'm pregnant. Even if I didn't tell people, I think they would most likely figure it out. I haven't completely "popped" yet, but I do have a tummy. Next weekend we are going to go looking at minivans. I have Ford Escape, but two carseats will take up the entire backseat, and we often have a third person back there, so we need the extra space. Plus sliding doors will be a big plus. Patrick like to help open the car door, and he is always banging himself in the head, now that he is taller and the door doesn't clear his head anymore. lol

Dawn

[DianeF]

Hi ladies~

I'm 13w3d tomorrow when I have my NT scan. I'm super excited to be able to see the babies again! I'm hoping that we'll be able to get some sort of an idea of genders tomorrow, even though I know it's way early.

Pretty much everyone in my life knows now. I had to break the news to my single friends last week and it did NOT go well. They are completely NOT supportive of the pregnancy and that I'm doing it on my own using donor sperm. Finally after 3 days they stopped saying negative things to me and are now just ignoring the fact that I'm pregnant. Haven't even told them it's twins yet! And I say "they", but it's really just one person... his girlfriend and another friend of ours don't have thoughts/opinions of their own... they just say/think/act as the other one says. I've been friends with these people for awhile, so none of this is a surprise.

Besides that, I've received nothing but positive responses from people, so I do have a lot of support otherwise... just a shame that the friends with whom I've been spending the most time in the last 10 years would be so against it.

I've been feeling much more energetic for about 3 weeks now, as well as having a much more stable stomach (for about as long). In fact lately I'm just not all that hungry at all... not because of queasiness, or food aversions, or anything like that. Just not hungry. I'll have sandwich for lunch and I'm full!

I'll update tomorrow after NT scans!

[DianeF]

Had my NT scan today and babies look great! Measuring at 14w and 13w6d (I'm currently 13w3d). The NT part of the u/s looks within normal limits. I asked the sonographer to take a stab at the genders... he said it's early and I shouldn't go buying anything yet, but... Baby A looks to him to be a GIRL, and Baby B does NOT look like a girl AT ALL ;-). So hopefully one of each, yay!

Meanwhile, as I pulled into my doc's office, I got out of my car to a river of green fluid flowing from beneath my car... I made it home, but overheating and having to pull over all the way home (about 30 miles).

[emiline]

Hi Everyone, I'm back to the board! After a month spent waiting to do the amnio and get the results it looks like we're in the clear. I can't tell you how excruciating it was to hear we had a large chance of a baby with Down Syndrome. I've never felt fear like that--we had decided to terminate if she had DS but I just couldn't wrap my brain around the horror of that option. Thank god we found out yesterday that everything's ok, and now I can start thinking like a real pregnant lady. Yay!

I'm about 16.5 weeks, although my due date changes all the time because I didn't have a LMP (I conceived right after miscarriage). The amnio confirmed that the baby is a girl and we're going to name her Isabel Irene (Irene for my Great Aunt and my DH's grandmother. Isabel for the Spanish/Italian in us).

Linden, I don't know how you're still standing, much less working. I get a little headachy and I collapse on the couch. You truly get the strong mom of the year award. I started telling everyone at my school about maternity leave yesterday. I'm an adjunct instructor at a university (equivalent to a freelancer) so there are a lot of contract issues to figure out. Most people have been supportive so far, but I'll worry about $$ until I get contracts signed sometime next month. There's no paid leave for adjunct instructors so I need to figure out how to get some work in. Eek!

Dawn, glad you're starting to feel better, I'm 16 weeks too and that sick feeling hasn't quite eased up. Also, is anyone else peeing ridiculously slow? My uterus area is always tight, and then I get the tiniest trickle when I go, but uterus is still tight. I walk like a duck, not because I'm big, but because my whole lower abdomen area feels like one big muscle knot!

Diane, so nice to meet you and glad you're on the board with us. If I am gathering your story correctly, you're a single mom-to-be who went the IVF/donor sperm route to start a family? I think this is an incredibly brave decision, you must have a wonderfully adventurous spirit and a real love of future mommy-hood. If you were my friend I would shower you with compliments and start planning ways that I could be a support system for you and the babe (babes!!!). I've been extremely lucky in the friend department, but I know people who have had to distance themselves from very old friends because they dragged them down as opposed to lifting them up during infertility and/or pregnancy. It was super painful, but they feel healthier in the end. It sounds like you have other people who will be around to help you in case your single pals don't pull through, so that's good.

One question before I end this loooong entry: for those of you who are already moms, what the heck do I need to buy in the way of linens for the crib? No bumper anymore, no blanket. Are we talking about just a fitted sheet?!

[DMS721]

emiline - that is wonderful news!!!! I've been thinking about you and hoping that everything was going smoothly! Yay for a girl. I LOVE the name you picked. Isabella was one of my top choices for a girl's name. For the crib, I highly recommend a breathable bumper. They are actually cuter than what they look online. They offer a bit of padding from the edges, but mainly because once your little one is starting to move around, the bumper prevents them from getting their legs stuck in the slats. I still use it in Patrick's crib. I will confess to using the real crib bumper for awhile when he was younger and not really moving. Once he started rolling over, that is when I took out the regular bumper and switched to the breathable one. The blanket that came with his crib set, I have used when he was laying on the floor, like as a mat. But you can easily get by with just a fitted sheet. Make sure to get a waterproof cover to put under the sheet (get 2 so you have a spare), and have at least 3 sheets. It never fails that they will spit up, have a diaper explosion, etc in the middle of the night, so you want to have extras handy. I don't think Patrick has ever spit up, or had a diaper explosion in his crib during normal waking hours. Always in the middle of the night! The other thing I reccomend, once she is older and standing up, getting cloth crib protectors, so she won't chew up the crib. I got mine after the damage had been done!

Diane - glad your NT results came back well. And you get the best of both worlds with a boy and a girl! Sorry your friends haven't been too supportive. Hopefully they will come around. At least your family is being supportive.

afm- I had my ob appointment today. The baby is doing well, but my blood pressure is already acting up. I go for a consult in 2 weeks, and will most likely be put on bp meds. I'm really nervous about being on bp meds, but I kind of knew it was coming. I had bp issues when I was pregnant with Patrick, but that dr took more of a laid back approach. He did take me out of work at 26 weeks though last time. I'm only 16 1/2 weeks, so I don't want to leave work this early, as I'm not sure it would really make a difference. I get my "big" ultrasound in 3 weeks. Since we already know it is a boy, I don't feel as anxious to get the ultrasound.

Dawn

[Tonya22]

Okay, I found you guys again. Lost you all for a while. Hope everyone is doing well! I will catch up a little later but wanted to just say "HELLO AGAIN"!!!

[emiline]

Thank you for the suggestions Dawn, I was truly confused! Now I have a better idea of what to put on the registry. So sorry about the blood pressure issue. Are there health issues associated with BP meds that could harm a developing baby? Or are they just weighing the risks--best to take care of your blood pressure with minimal cross over to the fetus?

Welcome back Tonya, I just found my way to the board again too!

AFM, just continuing to figure out all the stuff I'll need. I'm planning on lots of hand me downs from friends and some deals on Craigslist. I'll def. get the carseat, mattress, and bedding new. Next thing to figure out: a bouncer/swing that isn't completely hideous! My husband and I are in the design world, so no Graco plastic stuff for us. Too bad we're also on a budget. ha! Anyone try out the Svan, Maclaren, or Baby Bjorn bouncers?

Emily

[Tonya22]

Drum roll please! It's a GIRL!!!!!!

OMG! I am freaking out and still in shock! I started crying as soon as we saw those 3 little lines on the ultrasound scan. No doubt about it, we are having a GIRL!. I will no longer be the only female in a houseful of boys! Thank you Lord! Her heartbeat was 167 bpm and everything looked great! Dr. said I am right on track for weight gain (I've been a little worried about gaining to much). I stopped by the Dollar Tree on the way back from our ultrasound and purchased a couple baby balloons with lots of pink to place on my desk at school, one of which says "It's a Girl". I have approximately 177 students and I thought that would be a great way to let them know tomorrow instead of having the question asked 177 times. I have been surprised at how excited they have been and interested in knowing what I am having. It was nice to buy my very first pink items. Rest assured....I am going to go pink crazy!

Now to pick out a name for baby girl...

[DMS721]

Yay Tonya!!!!!

Dawn