Re: The OB visit & 32 week update (long)

[GoofeeGyrl]

<< Cheryl S.
Mom to Julie, 2 yr., 3 mo.
And a boy, EDD 4.Sept
>>


Wow Cheryl, I can't believe you had the energy to type all of that :)

Too bad the doc was not as great as your midwife, not helping an 8 month preg
woman up from the table is certainly not going to get any points with me!

I'm sorry to hear you are getting so miserable, why oh why did we decided to be
huge and pregnant in the summertime??

Don't beat yourself up too much about being impatient, etc. I feel the same
way. I have given in a lot to the videos and PBS more as time goes by. I
feel guility but at least I sit there with Sophie and watch it, I just don't
have the energy to do much with her anymore.

I have my next appt tommorrow, of course, right after yours!

Glad to "see" you posting!

Linda
Mommy to Sophie, 2 years
and girl #2, due Sept 7th

[==Daye==]

On 15 Jul 2003 21:19:39 GMT, (GoofeeGyrl)
wrote:

>I'm sorry to hear you are getting so miserable, why oh why did we decided to be
>huge and pregnant in the summertime??

I will be asking myself that in Dec and Jan -- summer here. I am
due in Jan, so it should be fun.

--
==Daye==
Momma to Jayan
#2 EDD 11 Jan 2004
E-mail: brendana AT labyrinth DOT net DOT au

[Cheryl S.]

GoofeeGyrl > wrote in message
...
> Wow Cheryl, I can't believe you had the energy to type all of that :)

LOL. It was right after a 90 minute nap!

> Too bad the doc was not as great as your midwife, not helping an 8
> month preg woman up from the table is certainly not going to get any
> points with me!

Yeah, and it's not even really an OB thing - I'm pretty sure my OBs with
Julie all helped me up. I was surprised at how hard it was to sit up -
I'll be much more grateful for the help now.

> I'm sorry to hear you are getting so miserable, why oh why did we
> decided to be huge and pregnant in the summertime??

I also have to question my decision making skills on that one. :-)

> Don't beat yourself up too much about being impatient, etc. I feel
> the same way. I have given in a lot to the videos and PBS more
> as time goes by. I feel guility but at least I sit there with Sophie
and
> watch it, I just don't have the energy to do much with her anymore.

I have been feeling the videos calling. Julie started watching
Clifford, Sesame Street, and Teletubbies about 6 weeks ago and it has
become more and more days out of the week. So far no videos (ever!),
but I'm sure it won't be long.

Yesterday was really trying. The doctor appointment was kind of early
(for us). I spent half an hour asking Julie what she wanted to eat,
etc., and trying to get her to eat breakfast, under stress from running
a little bit late. That whole time, she wouldn't eat, but as soon as I
said "we have to go get in the car now" she had a total crying meltdown
that she was hungry. I was very not-sympathetic. Then the whole day
seemed to go like that.

> I have my next appt tommorrow, of course, right after yours!

Hope it goes well!
--
Cheryl S.
Mom to Julie, 2 yr., 3 mo.
And a boy, EDD 4.Sept

Cleaning the house while your children are small is like
shoveling the sidewalk while it's still snowing.

[GoofeeGyrl]

<< That whole time, she wouldn't eat, but as soon as I
said "we have to go get in the car now" she had a total crying meltdown
that she was hungry. I was very not-sympathetic. Then the whole day
seemed to go like that. >>

Oh the joys of the toddler! That's when it is the worst, when your day starts
out with a meltdown. I know these days, it seems to set the tone for the whole
day in my mind, no matter what Sophie might be up to!

<< Cheryl S.
Mom to Julie, 2 yr., 3 mo.
And a boy, EDD 4.Sept >>

[Shannon]

Well i hear you about the not sleeping. Im also at 32 weeks and dont sleep
well most of the time. I get most of my sleep between 6 am and 10 am. I also
feel huge at times and have a hard time with dishes. The way i have to lean
over just kills my back and i already have back problems to begin with. My
belly has stopped getting bigger and i havent gained any weight int he past
2-3 weeks but the baby continues to grow and is around 3 pounds. I am told
my baby will be about 8-9 pounds when born. i can handle the 8 i dont know
about the 9. I have already ahad a 9.9 baby... OUCH!!!!is all i have to say
about that.

Good luck with everything. Soon we will be capable of getting to sleep
easily yet we will not get much still. Im looking forward to it :)

excited n anxious Shannon
due sept 12

[Elly]

Hi Cheryl!
Glad that all is going so well! I hope you will manage to fall asleep more
easily! Have you tried taking walks or doing some yoga exercises before
going to bed?
I usually practice my deep breathing for labour exercises before going to
bed, they put me straight to sleep!
I know why you feel comical trying to wash dishes - I feel comical when I'm
sitting down and feeling this big *bag* in my lap ;-)
Thank you for posting your Q & A, it's very educational - I must ask some of
the questions myself!

Take care,
Elly
28 weeks + 2 days
EDD October 6th

"Cheryl S." > ha scritto nel messaggio
...
> Hello, everyone. I feel like I haven't been posting much and apologize,
> especially for the "congratulations" and "welcomes" I've failed to
> extend lately. I've been sooooooo tired lately, because it's gotten so
> hard to sleep. I've been mostly skimming the groups, often saving posts
> to respond to later, then not getting around to it and losing them.
>
> Other than lots of trouble sleeping, though, I really can't complain.
> I've got no physical problems ATM aside from feeling Enormous. My
> "waist" is already 40 inches around, the same as it was when I went into
> labor with Julie! Yet I've gained seven pounds less than I had at that
> point (and two pounds less than I had at this point). I'm scared to see
> how much bigger I can get, given another 8 weeks! I feel comical trying
> to wash the dishes because my belly almost prevents me from being able
> to reach under the faucet to rinse. The lack of good sleep is affecting
> me emotionally though - it is increasingly hard for me to be patient
> with Julie and I am often wincing at the tone of my voice as I speak to
> her, even as I continue to do it. :( Deep breaths, deep breaths.
>
> Yesterday was my visit with one of my midwife's back-up OBs, that I
> posted about for help with questions to ask. Overall, I felt
> comfortable with her. She is just one of six who could be on call when
> I'm in labor and I (hopefully) won't be meeting any of the others.
> First, my midwife had her baby a week ago and they are doing well. The
> OB couldn't tell me yet when my midwife will be back though. At my last
> appointment with my midwife, she had told me she'd be out six weeks
> following her birth, which would make it August 18, in which case I'm
> quite confident she'd be back before I have the baby.
>
> Apparently all was fine with the boy and me, though I wasn't told my
> fundal height or the baby's heartrate. I noticed little differences,
> like that the doctor didn't tell me those numbers, or ask me about my
> diet or exercise, and was already busy writing in my chart after taking
> the baby's measurements so didn't help me to sit up (which was somewhat
> difficult to do on my own!). I had blood taken for another thyroid
> level check. The rest of my visits, until my midwife returns, will be
> with the other midwife, at their other office in another city (three
> doctors and one midwife per location). I am on to bi-weekly visits now;
> next one at 34 weeks.
>
> I did come up with quite a list of questions, from those suggested here,
> and from reading the birth center pamphlet's list of reasons for risking
> out together with _Thinking Woman's Guide_. She was happy to answer all
> of them, and I didn't feel rushed at all. For those who are interested,
> here is what I ended up asking her, and her (summarized) answers:
>
> Q: What are the options for medicated pain relief?
> A: Stadol and morphine (which are also available in the birth center)
> and epidural (L&D only)
>
> Q: What is the standard procedure for IVs and monitoring in the
> hospital?
> A: It would depend on the reason for my transfer. [Not quite what I
> asked, but I guess that's OK since the standard procedure probably
> wouldn't apply to me in the case of transfer anyway.]
>
> Q: What level is the hospital nursery?
> A: III
>
> Q: Do you try version if the baby is breech?
> A: If that is what the mother wants.
>
> Q: If I have a C-section, can my support person stay with me?
> A: Yes.
>
> Q: How soon could I breastfeed following a C-section?
> A: In the recovery room; surgery takes 45 minutes, then another few
> minutes after getting to recovery to check my vitals. DH would be with
> the baby during that time.
>
> [I chickened out on asking for her C-section and VBAC rates. Not sure
> why exactly, probably because my former OB seemed
> offended/defensive/evasive when I asked them, and I didn't want to get
> off on the wrong foot with this one. Also there's such a large chance
> I'd have a different doctor anyway. I think I will ask the midwife if
> she knows the rate for the practice overall though, and why she thinks
> the hospital C rate is so high (30%!)]
>
> Q: Will the midwife remain involved in my care if I am transferred?
> A: Yes, as much as possible. She may still deliver the baby.
>
> Q: Would I be able to room-in with the baby in the hospital?
> A: Yes
>
> Q: How do you define "failure to progress"? The pamphlet seemed vague
> about that - what is considered "progressive dilation" and how do you
> determine "adequate" contractions?
> A: It is kept vague intentionally. They don't really start paying
> attention to rate of progress until in active labor, after 4 cm. They
> don't adhere strictly to the 1 cm/hour rule, but would consider no
> change in dilation after three or four hours to be a problem. Adquate
> contractions are determined by timing between ctx, and perceived
> strength from feeling the abdomen during the ctx.
>
> Q: What complications, other than fetal distress, preeclampsia, cord
> prolapse, placental abruption or previa would necessitate a C-section?
> A: Breech, if version fails. Prolonged pushing with no descent of
> baby, or failure to progress.
>
> OK, this is certainly (more than) long enough! Thanks for reading.
> --
> Cheryl S.
> Mom to Julie, 2 yr., 3 mo.
> And a boy, EDD 4.Sept
>
> Cleaning the house while your children are small is like
> shoveling the sidewalk while it's still snowing.
>
>

[Elly]

"GoofeeGyrl" > ha scritto nel messaggio
...
> I have my next appt tommorrow, of course, right after yours!

Hi Linda, good luck for the appointment today :-))
Give us your update, will ya? ;-)

Elly
28 weeks + 2 days
EDD October 6th

[Karen]

"Cheryl S." wrote:

> Hello, everyone. I feel like I haven't been posting much and apologize,
> especially for the "congratulations" and "welcomes" I've failed to
> extend lately. I've been sooooooo tired lately, because it's gotten so
> hard to sleep. I've been mostly skimming the groups, often saving posts
> to respond to later, then not getting around to it and losing them.

I'm so sorry that you are getting so little sleep but I am glad to hear
everything else is going quite well. Good to know that at least one of the
back-up OB's is ok. More than likely the rest are also, since like doc's
tend to
practice together although that certainly isn't set in stone.

I've been doing OK on sleep but doing a lot of it. I napped in the car
every day on the way
out West. Sometimes sleeping 4 or 5 hours in a couple stretches. I'm taking
naps almost everyday now
and am absolutely EXHAUSTED when I don't. God Bless my niece who is staying
with us until the end of August.
I haven't seen my midwife since June 23. I see her again on Monday. I'm
anxious to see if bubs
is breech or vertex. I'm not sure, I *think* he's vertex. He finally turned
from transverse though and my right hip bone is
grateful as he was using it to brace his feet against.

The heat here is quite bearable. We're not going above the low 80's for at
least the next week. I hate the heat so this is
just perfect for me. I'd be totally content if it never got any hotter than
this.

K-

[Cheryl S.]

==Daye== > wrote in message
...
> Glad that things went well, but the above would annoy me. My
> doctor knows not to tell me that things are normal because I will
> ask for the exact numbers, esp. my BP. I have really low BP so
> 130/80 may be normal for some people, but that is high for me. I
> need the numbers to know for sure if my BP is normal.

I used to think my BP was really low, until I started seeing some of the
numbers people post here sometimes! Lowest mine has ever measured is
90/60. Still, 118/70 sounds odd to my ears, though the nurse who took
it Monday thought that was fabulous. I think it is good that it's a bit
higher than "normal" in my case though, because I don't feel well when
it's lower than 110/70 or so.

> I have to admit that the not helping you up would have annoyed
> me. I was always asked if I needed help up. I usually didn't,
> but I was thankful for them asking me.

It's good to hear I'm not the only one who would notice and feel annoyed
at not being helped up. It's such a quick and easy, yet thoughtful,
thing to do. It contributed to my feeling that, with a doctor,
everything is "about" the doctor, where with my midwife, everything is
"about" me, IYKWIM.
--
Cheryl S.
Mom to Julie, 2 yr., 3 mo.
And a boy, EDD 4.Sept

Cleaning the house while your children are small is like
shoveling the sidewalk while it's still snowing.

[==Daye==]

On Wed, 16 Jul 2003 10:31:48 -0400, "Cheryl S."
> wrote:

>I used to think my BP was really low, until I started seeing some of the
>numbers people post here sometimes! Lowest mine has ever measured is
>90/60.

The lowest mine has ever measured was 80/60. I have been asked
by nurses before if I felt faint after they took my bp, which
always makes me laugh.

At my last pregnancy appointment, my bp was 130/70. The doctor
said, "That looks good." I told him it was high for me. He
looked at my records, and yep, it was high. He took it again at
the end and it was 120/70, which is still high, but it was
better.

Since I had pre-eclampsia in my last pregnancy, I am always
scared when my bp is higher than normal.

--
==Daye==
Momma to Jayan
#2 EDD 11 Jan 2004
E-mail: brendana AT labyrinth DOT net DOT au

[GoofeeGyrl]

<< Hi Linda, good luck for the appointment today :-))
Give us your update, will ya? ;-)

Elly
28 weeks + 2 days
EDD October 6th >>

No update today, I got a call this morning and they had to reschedule my
appointment. I can't get in until next Thursday with my OB, so I'll be posting
an update then. Thanks for thinking of me though :)

Linda
Mommy to Sophie, 2 years
and girl #2, due Sept 7th

[Cheryl S.]

Shannon > wrote in message
...
> Well i hear you about the not sleeping. Im also at 32 weeks
> and dont sleep well most of the time.

Sorry to hear you are having troubles too. The worst part for me is the
frustration of having only a few weeks left of not having to wake up
because of a hungry baby, yet waking up anyway. I want good sleep while
I still can!

> I also feel huge at times and have a hard time with dishes. The
> way i have to lean over just kills my back and i already have
> back problems to begin with.

I've been noticing a backache too, when giving Julie a bath. Pretty
soon I'm going to have to get DH to do bedtime on her bath nights. She
does all right as long as he does the whole thing, but if we switch off
in the middle of her routine, it's meltdown time.

> My belly has stopped getting bigger and i havent gained any
> weight int he past 2-3 weeks but the baby continues to grow
> and is around 3 pounds. I am told my baby will be about 8-9
> pounds when born. i can handle the 8 i dont know about the 9.

I thought the baby usually gains about half a pound per week from here
on out, so if yours is 3 pounds now, he'd be about 7, eight weeks from
now. I'm not sure how much you can rely on the three pound estimate
though; I know at full term the weight estimates can be really far off
but I'm not sure about now.

> Good luck with everything. Soon we will be capable of getting
> to sleep easily yet we will not get much still. Im looking forward to
it :)

Me too. ;-)
--
Cheryl S.
Mom to Julie, 2 yr., 3 mo.
And a boy, EDD 4.Sept

Cleaning the house while your children are small is like
shoveling the sidewalk while it's still snowing.

[Cheryl S.]

Elly > wrote in message
...
> Glad that all is going so well! I hope you will manage to fall
> asleep more easily! Have you tried taking walks or doing some
> yoga exercises before going to bed?

I walked yesterday evening but it didn't seem to help any with staying
asleep last night. I also finally took naps yesterday and today instead
of going around the house like a zombie finding things I "really should
do". I had been afraid that if I napped, I'd sleep even worse at night,
but that wasn't the case at all. I was still plenty tired at bedtime!

> I usually practice my deep breathing for labour exercises before
> going to bed, they put me straight to sleep!

I have started doing that too, when I think of it. It sounds like
you've got the relaxation thing down! ;-)

> I know why you feel comical trying to wash dishes - I feel comical
> when I'm sitting down and feeling this big *bag* in my lap ;-)

Oh, yes - it's also really funny now trying to have Julie sitting in my
lap. It's a very precarious perch for her now.

> Thank you for posting your Q & A, it's very educational - I must ask
> some of the questions myself!

I'm glad it was helpful to you! _The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better
Birth_, by Henci Goer, is a really useful book, if you don't have it
already.
--
Cheryl S.
Mom to Julie, 2 yr., 3 mo.
And a boy, EDD 4.Sept

Cleaning the house while your children are small is like
shoveling the sidewalk while it's still snowing.

[Cheryl S.]

Karen > wrote in message
...
> I'm so sorry that you are getting so little sleep but I am glad
> to hear everything else is going quite well.

Thanks, Karen.

> Good to know that
> at least one of the back-up OB's is ok. More than likely the
> rest are also, since like doc's tend to practice together although
> that certainly isn't set in stone.

I hope so! I'm also hoping it's a good sign that they include midwives
in the practice, since that seems to be very unusual around here. No
one I know (outside of the natural-birth advocacy organization I belong
to, that is) has had a midwife, and I often have to explain what one is!

> I've been doing OK on sleep but doing a lot of it. I napped in
> the car every day on the way out West. Sometimes sleeping 4
> or 5 hours in a couple stretches. I'm taking naps almost everyday
> now and am absolutely EXHAUSTED when I don't. God Bless
> my niece who is staying with us until the end of August.

I think I am going to have to start taking a nap every day too. I have
felt more cheerful in the evening yesterday and today, though still
tired. There is no way I can stay awake in a car for any length of time
even not pregnant (unless driving of course!) - I wouldn't last half an
hour now.

> I haven't seen my midwife since June 23. I see her again
> on Monday. I'm anxious to see if bubs is breech or vertex.
> I'm not sure, I *think* he's vertex. He finally turned
> from transverse though and my right hip bone is
> grateful as he was using it to brace his feet against.

I'm glad he's shifted to a more comfortable position for you, and I hope
that it is the vertex position as well!

> The heat here is quite bearable. We're not going above the
> low 80's for at least the next week. I hate the heat so this is
> just perfect for me. I'd be totally content if it never got any
> hotter than this.

It has been unusually comfortable here too, which I am so thankful for!
Highs have been right around 80 ever since a major thunderstorm came
through over July 4 weekend, and the 10 day forecast is the same. I
would also be happy if it never got any hotter, but then I don't like
anything under 50 either. Picky, picky. ;-)
--
Cheryl S.
Mom to Julie, 2 yr., 3 mo.
And a boy, EDD 4.Sept

Cleaning the house while your children are small is like
shoveling the sidewalk while it's still snowing.

[Elly]

"Cheryl S." > ha scritto nel messaggio
...
> > I usually practice my deep breathing for labour exercises before
> > going to bed, they put me straight to sleep!
>
> I have started doing that too, when I think of it. It sounds like
> you've got the relaxation thing down! ;-)

Oh, yes ;-) If I REALLY want to practice the breathing technique, I have to
be lying down on the floor mat - bed is just too comfy and after the first
couple of breath-ins and outs my eyelids start to feel heavy and off I go...
;-)


Elly
28 weeks + 3 days
EDD October 6th

[Em]

"Cheryl S." > wrote in message

> Hello, everyone. I feel like I haven't been posting much and apologize,
> especially for the "congratulations" and "welcomes" I've failed to
> extend lately. I've been sooooooo tired lately, because it's gotten so
> hard to sleep. I've been mostly skimming the groups, often saving posts
> to respond to later, then not getting around to it and losing them.

I do that too--save the posts to respond to later. What happens to me a lot
though, is that too many days pass & I feel like it is then too late to
answer.

> Other than lots of trouble sleeping, though, I really can't complain.
> I've got no physical problems ATM aside from feeling Enormous. My
> "waist" is already 40 inches around, the same as it was when I went into
> labor with Julie! Yet I've gained seven pounds less than I had at that
> point (and two pounds less than I had at this point). I'm scared to see
> how much bigger I can get, given another 8 weeks!

I guess your body knows how to expand efficiently now :-) I haven't measured
my waist at all during this pregnany, but this message prompted me to go do
it. Wow.

> I feel comical trying
> to wash the dishes because my belly almost prevents me from being able
> to reach under the faucet to rinse.

I've noticed from looking at the belly pix in the belly gallery I like to
look at (http://pregnancy.about.com/library/belly/blbellyindex.htm) that
women who have had previous pregnancies look *much* more pregnant than their
first-time-mom counterparts up until about 30 weeks or so. By full term,
everyone looks just about the same (the more experienced ones just get there
quicker!).

> The lack of good sleep is affecting
> me emotionally though - it is increasingly hard for me to be patient
> with Julie and I am often wincing at the tone of my voice as I speak to
> her, even as I continue to do it. :( Deep breaths, deep breaths.

I've noticed that during this pregnancy, I seem to me more dramatically
affected by relatively small disruptions to my equilibirum--i.e. not getting
enough sleep, having a headache, getting too hot, getting hungry. All of
those make me much more snappish than they usually might (but if everything
is going well, I feel great and in a dandy mood). I'm lucky in that I
haven't had any real sleeping troubles though <knock on wood> other than
occasionally going to bed too late (darn that new Harry Potter book!!) and
still having to get up early to work the next day.

> Yesterday was my visit with one of my midwife's back-up OBs, that I
> posted about for help with questions to ask. Overall, I felt
> comfortable with her. She is just one of six who could be on call when
> I'm in labor and I (hopefully) won't be meeting any of the others.
> First, my midwife had her baby a week ago and they are doing well. The
> OB couldn't tell me yet when my midwife will be back though. At my last
> appointment with my midwife, she had told me she'd be out six weeks
> following her birth, which would make it August 18, in which case I'm
> quite confident she'd be back before I have the baby.

I hope your regular midwife does get back before your birth!

> Apparently all was fine with the boy and me, though I wasn't told my
> fundal height or the baby's heartrate. I noticed little differences,
> like that the doctor didn't tell me those numbers, or ask me about my
> diet or exercise, and was already busy writing in my chart after taking
> the baby's measurements so didn't help me to sit up (which was somewhat
> difficult to do on my own!).

When I was seeing a regular OB I had *such* a huge sense of being on an
assembly line & just a face in the crowd (sounds like how this OB kind of
was to you as well). Pretty much total detachment from me as a person.

> I did come up with quite a list of questions, from those suggested here,
> and from reading the birth center pamphlet's list of reasons for risking
> out together with _Thinking Woman's Guide_. She was happy to answer all
> of them, and I didn't feel rushed at all.
<snip>

I'm glad you didn't feel rushed & that her answers seemed good for the most
part. I put your post into my saved items, so that if I end up having to
talk to a consulting physician during my pregnancy I'll have some good ideas
for what to ask about!

Glad things are looking good with you! Hope you start sleeping better & that
you can still reach the sink in August ;-)

--
Em
edd 9/23/03