31 week report & a positioning question

[Em]

Yesterday I had another fairly uneventful appointment at my birth center.
Starting now, I'm on a every-two-weeks appointment schedule. Too weird! I
still can't get over being in the 30's now!

Reinforcing why I like this birth center so much, this appt. I didn't even
see the nurse first. The doctor called me in herself, checked my bp, etc,
and then moved on to the regular appt. My bp is still good (122/70) which
makes me quite happy! I gained 2 pounds this month which brings me up to 16
total (according to one scale & 20 according to another). I've been mentally
gearing up to get to 150 with this pregnancy, but now I'm starting to think
I won't (I'm 136 at 31 weeks). I guess we'll see!

Baby's heartrate was 144 & he was vertex at last (he's been transverse every
other time)! His back was lying towards my left side. I tried to pay close
attention to how she felt for his position, because I'd really like to be
able to do it myself. Fundal height was between 30 & 31. We talked about
birth plans & she answered a few questions that I had. She asked about my
mother's first labor (me), saying that there is a correlation between that &
how my first labor with be. Mom's first was a 12 hour long homebirth, which
sounds pretty good to me. I'd be happy with that! (substituting birth center
for home in my personal equation though).

I had a prenatal appt. with my doula last week as well & we talked a lot
about "optimal fetal positioning." I asked the doctor about this as well and
she was of the opinion that doing the exercises and so forth isn't going to
necessarily have *that* much impact on final positioning (the doula seemed
to think it has *everything* to do with it), but it can certainly encourage
the baby in the right direction. I have pretty bad posture as it is & so I'm
starting to make a concentrated effort to sit in more good fetal position
favoring ways & things like that. That brings me to my question: how many of
the experienced moms out there have tried optimal fetal positioning
techniques & what was the result? I know it is still relatively early on for
me to be trying things, but I figured that it won't hurt anything to start
some good habits now.

--
Em
edd 9/23/03
(31 weeks today!)

[Astromum]

Em wrote:

<snips the appointment>
> That brings me to my question: how many of
> the experienced moms out there have tried optimal fetal positioning
> techniques & what was the result? I know it is still relatively early on for
> me to be trying things, but I figured that it won't hurt anything to start
> some good habits now.

Glad that everything is going well for you!

As to your question, I don't have any experience with this as such, since
DS was engaged, vertex and head down at about that time (31w) and only once
tried to do a full spin around 34w (still remember the bruises I got...).

But as you say: it cannot hurt to teach yourself some basic good habits
when it comes to posture. Especially now that you are entering the more
demanding phase of your pregnancy, which will be hard on your back, and
also knees, feet, basically everything. Also after the baby is born, you
will do a lot of things in totally new positions, like lifting the baby,
nursing, pushing a stroller, carrying a sling. I've always had a bad back,
and find that some basic daily exercises make my life a lot easier.
Especially now that I am lifting a 27lb5oz boy on a daily basis... ;)

--
-- Ilse
mom to Olaf (07/15/2002)
TTC #2
"What's the use of brains if you are a girl?"
Aletta Jacobs, first Dutch woman to receive a PhD

[Circe]

Em wrote:
> She asked about my mother's
> first labor (me), saying that there is a correlation between that &
> how my first labor with be.

Hmmmm. While I'm sure there's some genetic component to how labor and
delivery proceeds, I'm not sure it's direct enough to warrant the opinion
that any individual's labor is likely to correlate to her mother's labor. I
say that for a couple of reasons:

1) Even if length of labor is strictly genetic, it's likely to be controlled
by a lot of genes, rather than just by a single gene. You're going to
inherit two copies of each of those genes, and there are no guarantees that
the copy you'll inherit from your mother will be the dominant/controlling
gene or that the way the two alleles won't work together in a totally
different way than your mother's alleles did. Plus, you're just as likely to
inherit the dominant/controlling genes from your father as from your mother,
which means your labor is probably about as likely to look like your
paternal grandmother's labor as your mother's.

2) Different labors proceed differently in the same woman. My first labor
was induced with pitocin and took 8 hours. My second labor was spontaneous
and went 28 hours from start to finish (although only about 6 of it was
really active labor). My third labor was induced by AROM and took 3h50m.
From that set of statistics, I can't *begin* to predict what a fourth labor
might be like if I were to have one!

So, while I guess there's no harm in considering how your mother's first
labor went, I truly wouldn't recommend building any expectations around that
because, really, it's all sort of a crapshoot.
--
Be well, Barbara
(Julian [7/22/97], Aurora [7/19/99], and Vernon's [3/2/02] mom)
See us at http://photos.yahoo.com/guavaln

This week's special at the English Language Butcher Shop:
"How a seller can improve their home's value" -- newspaper headline

What does it all mean? I have *no* idea. But it's my life and I like it.

[Henrietta Louise]

Good for you for being well-informed on the baby's position. My third
one was breech, until early labor and turned on his own. I wasn't
worried because my OB never said anything about it, so I never tried to
change the fetal position.
Good luck and wishing you "baby turn" vibes.

Regards,
Henrietta
#4's edd: March 22, 2004

[Alicia Elliott]

Hi there Em, isn't it great to be in the 30's? I remember taking that as
one of the biggest landmarks for my pregnancy. So many people told me,
"it'll fly by once you reach 30 weeks"! It hasn't, but then nothing else
about this pregnancy has been as people have told me either. LOL

Anyway, I can't say that I am an experienced mum, in fact, the opposite this
being my first baby. But I did have an experience early in my 30's where
the baby was posterior, kicking me all over my front. After a few days of
leaning forward when sitting, and so on, the baby turned. Whether or not my
position had anything to do with it I cannot say, but it can't hurt. Since
then the baby has been anterior with it's back just slightly to the right of
my belly button.

I've heard the same things as you, it could either have a great effect on
the baby's position, or it could have no effect. -shrug-

Good to hear that everything is going smoothly. I know I love seeing the
midwife more often, I am down to once a week now. Each time it's like a
little boost to remind me that the baby is healthy and where it should be.
: )

-Alicia

[Elly]

"Em" > ha scritto nel messaggio
news:pFgTa.118654$N7.16090@sccrnsc03...
> Yesterday I had another fairly uneventful appointment at my birth center.
> Starting now, I'm on a every-two-weeks appointment schedule. Too weird! I
> still can't get over being in the 30's now!

Em - congratulations on your 31 weeks and for the uneventful appointment :-)


>
> Reinforcing why I like this birth center so much, this appt. I didn't even
> see the nurse first. The doctor called me in herself, checked my bp, etc,
> and then moved on to the regular appt. My bp is still good (122/70) which
> makes me quite happy! I gained 2 pounds this month which brings me up to
16
> total (according to one scale & 20 according to another). I've been
mentally
> gearing up to get to 150 with this pregnancy, but now I'm starting to
think
> I won't (I'm 136 at 31 weeks). I guess we'll see!

Great news regarding the bp and the weight gain!
I've already gained around
2-3 lbs since my last appointment which was 16 days ago - so I guess my
weight gain rate is 1.4 lbs a week or something. I'm not sure how accurate
this scale is, though, since I'm at my DH's place now (yay!) and this scale
is not digital. Another thing is that my feet are pretty swollen these days
(SO hot & humid here!) so I guess this contributes too (and not weighing
myself according to my *weigh-in rules* - your post made me go and check the
weight, actually ;-) . I think I should pay closer attention to it from now
on...

<y's heartrate was 144 & he was vertex at last (he's been transverse
every
> other time)!

Oh, this is certainly giving me hope - my baby's been transverse every time
too! I *know* it's still early to be worried about it, I've been told the
babies usually turn around week 36 so there's still plenty of time, but it's
kind at the back of my head, bothering me slightly. Maybe at my next
appointment (week 31+) this baby will turn too!

< She asked about my
> mother's first labor (me), saying that there is a correlation between that
<&
> how my first labor with be.

Since I've already told you how my mother's first labor (me) was, this is
*not* a good news for me! Funny, my ob/gyn never mentioned that correlation.
I hope my mother's experience was only related to the fact she had a split
uterus (septum) - her labour did begin naturally (water broke) - but then
again, I was 3 weeks early and feet first :-(

<Mom's first was a 12 hour long homebirth,
<which
> sounds pretty good to me. I'd be happy with that! (substituting birth
center
> for home in my personal equation though).

I'm glad the news is encouraging for you, though :-)

> I had a prenatal appt. with my doula last week as well & we talked a lot
> about "optimal fetal positioning." I asked the doctor about this as well
and
> she was of the opinion that doing the exercises and so forth isn't going
to
> necessarily have *that* much impact on final positioning (the doula seemed
> to think it has *everything* to do with it), but it can certainly
encourage
> the baby in the right direction.

This is exactly the same thing the ob/gyn at my childbirth class told us.
Still, I don't think doing the optimal fetal positioning exercises can do us
any harm, so thank you for posting this question, I (and many others) will
surely benefit from all the answers!

Glad that all is going so well and uneventful - keep it up!

Elly
29 weeks + 2 days
EDD October 6th

[Tiina News]

Em, I'm just about to post my own update, but I wanted to reply to yours
first. Sounds like everything is going great! Bp, weight..(*16* pounds?
The contest has been over for a long time!)

I haven't tried optimal fetal positioning myself, although maybe I
should. DD was posterior, after all. Pelvic rocks, I know! I've paid
more attention to my posture and back muscles though, and that seems to
be paying off. I have no back pain, even after doing stuff like walking
or being at the helm of a sailboat for an extended period. (That seat
was hard on my butt, though.)

So, I don't think the positioning exercises would do any harm and might
possibly do some good, and correcting your posture might be a very good
decision in view of these last two months. The rowing I've done lately
has done wonders to my back!

I'm glad to hear you're still happy with the birth center, and it does
sound great. The correlation between first labors is an interesting
notion. In my case, for example, my mother had her first baby in 1942,
her build was very different from mine, and the baby was quite small
(the nutritional situation in wartime Finland was not that great). My
impression is that her labor was much faster than mine! ( My mother has
been dead for 18 years, so I can't ask her, but that's what I remember
hearing.) So, there are many variables, but I guess if your mother had
you in similar circumstances after a similar pregnancy and resembles you
physically, your labors might have more in common. I *hope* so - 12
hours sounds good! :-)

Tiina




Em wrote:

> Yesterday I had another fairly uneventful appointment at my birth center.
> Starting now, I'm on a every-two-weeks appointment schedule. Too weird! I
> still can't get over being in the 30's now!
>
> Reinforcing why I like this birth center so much, this appt. I didn't even
> see the nurse first. The doctor called me in herself, checked my bp, etc,
> and then moved on to the regular appt. My bp is still good (122/70) which
> makes me quite happy! I gained 2 pounds this month which brings me up to 16
> total (according to one scale & 20 according to another). I've been mentally
> gearing up to get to 150 with this pregnancy, but now I'm starting to think
> I won't (I'm 136 at 31 weeks). I guess we'll see!
>
> Baby's heartrate was 144 & he was vertex at last (he's been transverse every
> other time)! His back was lying towards my left side. I tried to pay close
> attention to how she felt for his position, because I'd really like to be
> able to do it myself. Fundal height was between 30 & 31. We talked about
> birth plans & she answered a few questions that I had. She asked about my
> mother's first labor (me), saying that there is a correlation between that &
> how my first labor with be. Mom's first was a 12 hour long homebirth, which
> sounds pretty good to me. I'd be happy with that! (substituting birth center
> for home in my personal equation though).
>
> I had a prenatal appt. with my doula last week as well & we talked a lot
> about "optimal fetal positioning." I asked the doctor about this as well and
> she was of the opinion that doing the exercises and so forth isn't going to
> necessarily have *that* much impact on final positioning (the doula seemed
> to think it has *everything* to do with it), but it can certainly encourage
> the baby in the right direction. I have pretty bad posture as it is & so I'm
> starting to make a concentrated effort to sit in more good fetal position
> favoring ways & things like that. That brings me to my question: how many of
> the experienced moms out there have tried optimal fetal positioning
> techniques & what was the result? I know it is still relatively early on for
> me to be trying things, but I figured that it won't hurt anything to start
> some good habits now.
>
> --
> Em
> edd 9/23/03
> (31 weeks today!)
>
>
>

[Circe]

>> Em wrote:
> She then asked if my mom had talked to me about her
> own labor experiences & how they had been & said it could have
> bearing on what my experience would be like. I was surprised and
> said, "but is there really any correlation there?" and she said "yes,
> actually." I should have asked her for cites ;-) My suspicion is that
> it is just her personal experience.
>
Well, I'm sure there's *some* correlation, but I'm betting it's
statistically weak. Certainly, my labors were enough different from *each
other* that it would be really hard to say the proceeded like anyone else's
labors!

FWIW, I *do* think both my sister and I had labors more like our paternal
grandmother's (active labors relatively short, no back labor, short pushing
stages) and at least one of her daughters. Which makes some sense given that
we both take after our father's side of the family from a physical point of
view (overall build and stature) than our mother's (she is a short, stocky
German and we are tallish, slenderish Norwegians like our dad--although my
sister is getting a bit more broad in the beam like my aunts as she ages).
So there *might* be more statistical correlation between your labor and your
mother's if your body types are similar.
--
Be well, Barbara
(Julian [7/22/97], Aurora [7/19/99], and Vernon's [3/2/02] mom)
See us at http://photos.yahoo.com/guavaln

This week's special at the English Language Butcher Shop:
"How a seller can improve their home's value" -- newspaper headline

What does it all mean? I have *no* idea. But it's my life and I like it.

[Circe]

Cheryl S. wrote:
> I'm not sure how much of a correlation there is overall, but I will
> say my mother, three sisters, and I have had very similar labors.

Do you both have a body type similar to your mother? As I said to Em in
another post, my bet is that your labor is more likely to be like your
mother's if you have a similar body type. Since my mother and I are
*nothing* alike in terms of body type, it surprises me not at all that my
labors were not much like hers.
--
Be well, Barbara
(Julian [7/22/97], Aurora [7/19/99], and Vernon's [3/2/02] mom)
See us at http://photos.yahoo.com/guavaln

This week's special at the English Language Butcher Shop:
"How a seller can improve their home's value" -- newspaper headline

What does it all mean? I have *no* idea. But it's my life and I like it.

[Cheryl S.]

Circe > wrote in message
news:PnyTa.15808$u51.12362@fed1read05...
> Cheryl S. wrote:
> > I'm not sure how much of a correlation there is overall, but I will
> > say my mother, three sisters, and I have had very similar labors.
>
> Do you both have a body type similar to your mother? As I said to Em
in
> another post, my bet is that your labor is more likely to be like your
> mother's if you have a similar body type. Since my mother and I are
> *nothing* alike in terms of body type, it surprises me not at all that
my
> labors were not much like hers.

Yes, all 5 of us are built very similarly. I would guess that any
correlation, if it does exist, between labors of mothers and daughters
is no greater than the correlation between body type...
--
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.

[zeldabee]

Daye > wrote:
> On Wed, 23 Jul 2003 09:05:22 -0700, "Circe" > wrote:
>
> >Well, I'm sure there's *some* correlation, but I'm betting it's
> >statistically weak.
>
> There is a correlation between pre-eclampsia and your husband's
> mother's experience. If your husband's mother had pre-eclampsia, you
> have a higher risk of it.

How can that be?

--
z e l d a b e e @ p a n i x . c o m http://NewsReader.Com/

[Mary S.]

> That brings me to my question: how many of
> the experienced moms out there have tried optimal fetal positioning
> techniques & what was the result? I know it is still relatively early on for
> me to be trying things, but I figured that it won't hurt anything to start
> some good habits now.

Here are my two cents -- back labor sucks! LOL. I did sub-optimal
fetal positioning techniques (basically spent most of my time
reclining, either sitting up in bed or resting on the couch, due to an
ouchy back), and I paid dearly with a posterior baby. I have vowed to
spend morning, noon, and night doing pelvic rocks next time. :)

Mary S.
mom to the Sproutkin, 16 months

[Circe]

zeldabee wrote:
> Daye > wrote:
>> On Wed, 23 Jul 2003 09:05:22 -0700, "Circe" >
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Well, I'm sure there's *some* correlation, but I'm betting it's
>>> statistically weak.
>>
>> There is a correlation between pre-eclampsia and your husband's
>> mother's experience. If your husband's mother had pre-eclampsia, you
>> have a higher risk of it.
>
> How can that be?

From what I recall from my third pregnancy (when I had high blood pressure
but not pre-eclampsia), the father seems to have some effect on whether or
not the mother develops pre-eclampsia. One of the first things my midwives
wondered when my BP rose was whether my third baby had a different father
than my first two. Apparently, the babies of women who experience
pre-eclampsia in a second or subsequent pregnancy often have a different
father than earlier babies.

That would seem to suggest that there's something in the father's genetic
code that's causing the baby to put out a chemical into the mother's
bloodstream that induced pre-eclampsia. And that, in turn, would explain why
your MIL's pre-eclampsia would be a risk factor--if your FIL passed on genes
that cause it, your husband is likely to have those genes and pass them to
your children.
--
Be well, Barbara
(Julian [7/22/97], Aurora [7/19/99], and Vernon's [3/2/02] mom)
See us at http://photos.yahoo.com/guavaln

This week's special at the English Language Butcher Shop:
"How a seller can improve their home's value" -- newspaper headline

What does it all mean? I have *no* idea. But it's my life and I like it.

[Em]

"Laurie" > wrote in message
> Em wrote in message ...
> That brings me to my question: how many
> of
> >the experienced moms out there have tried optimal fetal positioning
> >techniques & what was the result? I know it is still relatively early on
> for
> >me to be trying things, but I figured that it won't hurt anything to
start
> >some good habits now.
> >

> Wow Em, I can't believe you're that far along already! Congrats!

I know! Isn't it weird? Especially considering how convinced I was very
early on that this pregnancy might not be viable, it is incredible to me
that I am sitting here right now with a squirmy little baby in my belly,
planning how the birth is going to be!

> As for the positioning, Christopher was head down from early on, about 32
> weeks, but I did do squats-LOTS of squats- to try to get him to engage- it
> didn't work. Well, he was born 6 days past edd and I felt him very
rapidly
> "drop" about an hour before he was born!

I remember you talking about your engagement efforts. I guess babies do what
they want to do. I really don't want to feel like it was my fault in any way
if the baby ends up posterior, so I'm not leaning back on my couch any more
& am sitting on my birth ball at the computer as I type!

> Sounds like things are going great. Do you have names picked out yet, or
> have I missed that?

We have his name picked, but DH is adamant about not telling a soul. He
really feels strongly about it (my DH is not one to make a big fuss about
things, ever, usually), so I'm going along with it. He did agree that we
could tell my parents & sibs, so they know & we use the name together, but
no one else does!

--
Em
edd 9/23/03

[Em]

"Cheryl S." > wrote in message
> Em > wrote in message
> > Yesterday I had another fairly uneventful appointment at my
> > birth center.
>
> That's great that everything looks good and you are happy with the birth
> center.

I know! I feel really pleased with it & am looking forward to having the
baby there :-)

> > I had a prenatal appt. with my doula last week as well & we
> > talked a lot about "optimal fetal positioning." <snip> That brings
> > me to my question: how many of the experienced moms out there
> > have tried optimal fetal positioning techniques & what was the result?
>
> With Julie, I did pelvic rocks daily, and avoided lounging back on the
> couch, instead tailor sitting on the floor with my back against the
> front of the couch to watch TV, and my job required mostly walking and
> standing all day, so I did a fair amount of the things suggested for OFP
> but still had 4 hours of back labor before she turned. Babies generally
> have to turn through several positions during labor anyway though, and
> the most important thing IMO is to stay very active during early labor.

I do think a lot of positioning probably has to do with the individual
pregnancy & baby, but it definitely won't hurt me to try the reccomended
things. I definitely don't want to have any mental recriminations going on
during labor about "if only I had stayed off the couch." This way I'll know
I did the best I could & maybe just had a stubborn baby :-)

> I'm sure your doula will have plenty of good suggestions at the time,
> since she is so aware of fetal positioning. This time, I've been doing
> pelvic rocks (started with 40, have worked up to 80 now) every day since
> 9 weeks, and while it has made me a lot more comfortable, I have a
> suspicion that he is posterior anyway, because I feel so much movement
> toward the front and do not feel anything that seems like it could be a
> spine when I feel my belly. Then again I have not been very good about
> staying off my back, on the couch. I have my first prenatal meeting
> with my doula this Thursday and I'm sure she'll be able to tell, and
> have some suggestions. A while ago I wrote a long post on OFP; you
> might want to Google it. I'm not sure, but I'd guess it was about two
> months ago.

I googled your post as well as others out there about OFP. Good info. Things
I'm doing that my doula recommended are: replacing my computer chair with my
birth ball (I am presently sitting on it!), sitting tailor style/sitting
tailor style w/back against something firm, sitting leaning forward
w/straight back, sleeping on left side with pillow between my legs. I have
been doing a daily series of pelvic rocks during my morning yoga routine
since I became pregnant, but should probably add in another set during the
day. I'm still sleeping on my back quite a lot, which is said to be kind of
bad for OFP, but I don't have a lot of control over it! I've almost
completely eliminated sitting semi-reclined on the couch or bed. My doula
also recommended spending about 20 minutes a day on hands & knees with head
and chest supported by the birth ball. I haven't implemented that yet. I
also need to work on my posture while sitting in chairs (I'm pretty good
about not slumping back, but I tend to round my shoulders and hunch forward
instead).

> BTW I've been meaning to mention to you that last week, one of the times
> I woke up at night my fingers were puffy and my rings felt a little
> tight, so I took them off and will leave them off the rest of my
> pregnancy now, even though my fingers have been back to normal ever
> since. Taking them off reminded me of your recent post asking about
> when to do that - so my answer now is 33 weeks. ;-)

Last week I decided to take off the two rings on my right hand because they
were feeling a little tighter in the mornings than usual. My wedding ring
still feels quite comfortable though, so I'm leaving it for now. I put a
slightly bigger ring on my other hand as well (one that did fit
pre-pregnancy also) and it is still comfortable. I do lots of "monitoring"
to make sure they are coming on & off easily though.

--
Em
edd 9/23/03

[Em]

"Tiina News" > wrote in message
> Em, I'm just about to post my own update, but I wanted to reply to yours
> first. Sounds like everything is going great! Bp, weight..(*16* pounds?
> The contest has been over for a long time!)

Things *are* going good! I still feel quite good physically for the most
part, though I have had some lumbering-whale moments (particularly when it
is hot) and changing positions in bed is getting more challenging. I'm
pleased with the weight gain thus far, I was really trying to mentally prep
for gaining 30+ during the pregnancy & I'm really kind of surprised that it
is only 16 (well, 20 based on what they had written down in my chart from
pre-pregnancy--they just asked at the appt. how much I weighed & I told them
between 115 & 120 & they wrote down 116--however, based on the other OB's
scale I weighed 120 starting out, so that is what I'm going on).

> I haven't tried optimal fetal positioning myself, although maybe I
> should. DD was posterior, after all. Pelvic rocks, I know! I've paid
> more attention to my posture and back muscles though, and that seems to
> be paying off. I have no back pain, even after doing stuff like walking
> or being at the helm of a sailboat for an extended period. (That seat
> was hard on my butt, though.)

Since I started trying to sit with my back more straight and also not lean
back on couches & things, my back has really *started* to hurt when it
didn't before! It is my upper back between my shoulders that hurts though,
not my lower back, & I imagine it is because those muscles have been lazily
leaning on things & not having to support me for a long time! I am a v. bad
sloucher too.

> So, I don't think the positioning exercises would do any harm and might
> possibly do some good, and correcting your posture might be a very good
> decision in view of these last two months. The rowing I've done lately
> has done wonders to my back!

I hope they do some good! And you're right, can't hurt anything.

> I'm glad to hear you're still happy with the birth center, and it does
> sound great. The correlation between first labors is an interesting
> notion. In my case, for example, my mother had her first baby in 1942,
> her build was very different from mine, and the baby was quite small
> (the nutritional situation in wartime Finland was not that great). My
> impression is that her labor was much faster than mine! ( My mother has
> been dead for 18 years, so I can't ask her, but that's what I remember
> hearing.) So, there are many variables, but I guess if your mother had
> you in similar circumstances after a similar pregnancy and resembles you
> physically, your labors might have more in common. I *hope* so - 12
> hours sounds good! :-)

My mom & I are quite a bit similar physically (same height exactly, similar
frame size, but I've always been built more skinnily). Her pregnancies
weren't difficult by any means, but mine has been smoother overall (no
morning sickness, etc). We'll see!

--
Em
edd 9/23/03

[Em]

"Elly" > wrote in message
> "Em" > ha scritto nel messaggio
> > Yesterday I had another fairly uneventful appointment at my birth
center.
> > Starting now, I'm on a every-two-weeks appointment schedule. Too weird!
I
> > still can't get over being in the 30's now!
>
> Em - congratulations on your 31 weeks and for the uneventful appointment
:-)

Thanks! Feels good :-)

> > Reinforcing why I like this birth center so much, this appt. I didn't
even
> > see the nurse first. The doctor called me in herself, checked my bp,
etc,
> > and then moved on to the regular appt. My bp is still good (122/70)
which
> > makes me quite happy! I gained 2 pounds this month which brings me up to
> 16
> > total (according to one scale & 20 according to another). I've been
> mentally
> > gearing up to get to 150 with this pregnancy, but now I'm starting to
> think
> > I won't (I'm 136 at 31 weeks). I guess we'll see!
>
> Great news regarding the bp and the weight gain!
> I've already gained around
> 2-3 lbs since my last appointment which was 16 days ago - so I guess my
> weight gain rate is 1.4 lbs a week or something. I'm not sure how accurate
> this scale is, though, since I'm at my DH's place now (yay!) and this
scale
> is not digital. Another thing is that my feet are pretty swollen these
days
> (SO hot & humid here!) so I guess this contributes too (and not weighing
> myself according to my *weigh-in rules* - your post made me go and check
the
> weight, actually ;-) . I think I should pay closer attention to it from
now
> on...

I'm feeling quite lucky in that I haven't had any ankle swelling at all
<knocks wood> despite it being quite hot & humid. My doctor said that about
90% of pregnat women will experience ankle/foot swelling, so I guess I'm not
out of the woods yet. My mom never had any swelling of hands/feet during any
of her pregnancies though, so maybe I got that from her or something :-)

> <y's heartrate was 144 & he was vertex at last (he's been transverse
> every
> > other time)!
>
> Oh, this is certainly giving me hope - my baby's been transverse every
time
> too! I *know* it's still early to be worried about it, I've been told the
> babies usually turn around week 36 so there's still plenty of time, but
it's
> kind at the back of my head, bothering me slightly. Maybe at my next
> appointment (week 31+) this baby will turn too!

I'll bet your baby will turn as well. I know that they still have switch
around capabilities until the end of pregnancy, but it also seems like a lot
of people's babies start being vertex at 30 or so weeks along & don't switch
back. It also seems like most of the Sept. due date people have head-down
babies now, so I'll bet that trend will carry over to the October due dates
in the next two weeks or so! :-)

> < She asked about my
> > mother's first labor (me), saying that there is a correlation between
that
> <&
> > how my first labor with be.
>
> Since I've already told you how my mother's first labor (me) was, this is
> *not* a good news for me!

You're not kidding :-(

> Funny, my ob/gyn never mentioned that correlation.
> I hope my mother's experience was only related to the fact she had a split
> uterus (septum) - her labour did begin naturally (water broke) - but then
> again, I was 3 weeks early and feet first :-(

Since your mom had a physically condition that contributed to her difficult
time & you don't share the condition, I would bet that her experience has
little bearing on what you'll go through. Your mom definitely had a
*extreme* situation. Wow. Every time I think about it, I feel bad for her!

> > I had a prenatal appt. with my doula last week as well & we talked a lot
> > about "optimal fetal positioning." I asked the doctor about this as well
> and
> > she was of the opinion that doing the exercises and so forth isn't going
> to
> > necessarily have *that* much impact on final positioning (the doula
seemed
> > to think it has *everything* to do with it), but it can certainly
> encourage
> > the baby in the right direction.
>
> This is exactly the same thing the ob/gyn at my childbirth class told us.
> Still, I don't think doing the optimal fetal positioning exercises can do
us
> any harm, so thank you for posting this question, I (and many others) will
> surely benefit from all the answers!
>
> Glad that all is going so well and uneventful - keep it up!

Thanks! I'm still getting a A+ grade in pregnancy ;-)

--
Em
edd 9/23/03

[Em]

"Alicia Elliott" > wrote in message
> Hi there Em, isn't it great to be in the 30's? I remember taking that as
> one of the biggest landmarks for my pregnancy. So many people told me,
> "it'll fly by once you reach 30 weeks"! It hasn't, but then nothing else
> about this pregnancy has been as people have told me either. LOL

It does feel good to be in the 30's! Incredible really--I can't believe I'm
here already & in the single-digit slide to the due date :-) Things are
still flying by for the most part with me. You got dealt a difficult hand
with a lot of the physical discomforts of pregnancy (such as the
never-ending morning sickness. Sheesh!!), and I feel quite fortunate to have
"missed" most of them. I'm starting to feel a bit like a whale trying to
turn over at night though!

> Anyway, I can't say that I am an experienced mum, in fact, the opposite
this
> being my first baby. But I did have an experience early in my 30's where
> the baby was posterior, kicking me all over my front. After a few days of
> leaning forward when sitting, and so on, the baby turned. Whether or not
my
> position had anything to do with it I cannot say, but it can't hurt.
Since
> then the baby has been anterior with it's back just slightly to the right
of
> my belly button.

I feel a lot of the baby's limb movements on my right side. I'm getting
better at feeling where his back & bottom are now & I think I can feel where
his head is as well (basically it feels like my pubic bone continues into my
belly for a little ways).

> I've heard the same things as you, it could either have a great effect on
> the baby's position, or it could have no effect. -shrug-
>
> Good to hear that everything is going smoothly. I know I love seeing the
> midwife more often, I am down to once a week now. Each time it's like a
> little boost to remind me that the baby is healthy and where it should be.

It does feel reinforcing to see the doctor & get the "clean bill of health"
for both me & the baby. I start weekly appts at the end of August.

I'll send you a few **labor vibes**!! I know you're ready for them!

--
Em
edd 9/23/03

[Daye]

On 24 Jul 2003 00:07:38 GMT, zeldabee >
wrote:

>> There is a correlation between pre-eclampsia and your husband's
>> mother's experience. If your husband's mother had pre-eclampsia, you
>> have a higher risk of it.
>
>How can that be?

I don't know. However, I have read about the research. Apparently,
if your husband's mother had pre-eclampsia, you have a higher risk.

It was true in my case. DH's mother had pre-eclampsia with both
children. I had severe pre-eclampsia with my first and so far only.

I found this link the mentions the correlation. Apparently, the
research was published in The New England Journal of Medicine in March
2001:

http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/343/327701.html


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

[Elly]

"Em" > ha scritto nel messaggio
news:wrTTa.136853$Ph3.17476@sccrnsc04...
> "Elly" > wrote in message

> > I've already gained around
> > 2-3 lbs since my last appointment which was 16 days ago - so I guess my
> > weight gain rate is 1.4 lbs a week or something. I'm not sure how
accurate
> > this scale is, though, since I'm at my DH's place now (yay!) and this
> scale
> > is not digital. Another thing is that my feet are pretty swollen these
> days
> > (SO hot & humid here!) so I guess this contributes too (and not weighing
> > myself according to my *weigh-in rules* - your post made me go and check
> the
> > weight, actually ;-) . I think I should pay closer attention to it from
> now
> > on...

> I'm feeling quite lucky in that I haven't had any ankle swelling at all
> <knocks wood> despite it being quite hot & humid. My doctor said that
about
> 90% of pregnat women will experience ankle/foot swelling, so I guess I'm
not
> out of the woods yet. My mom never had any swelling of hands/feet during
any
> of her pregnancies though, so maybe I got that from her or something :-)

I'm glad you are not experiencing ankle swelling - you really should thank
your genes/lucky star/whatever ;-) My Mom does suffer from wheather-related
swallen ankles, so yes, maybe genes do have something to do with it!
I'm mainly having trouble with my left ankle (don't know why just this one
is a problem, though!), although recently I'm noticing some puffiness on the
right ankle too (I haven't *seen* my left ankle for a week now ;-). This
makes me a poor candidate to go shoe shopping - everything I might try on
will be too small or too tight!
So I'm spending my days barefoot when at home and wearing sandals one size
too big (altough now they seem one size too small!) and summer sneakers.
Actually, today the *ankle situation* is a bit better - we had two rainy
days (with some sunshine), it seems cooler and the ankles seem in better
shape. Also, sleeping with elevated feet helps. I'm thankful for not feeling
any pain or heaviness of the feet/legs :-)

> It also seems like most of the Sept. due date people have head-down
> babies now, so I'll bet that trend will carry over to the October due
dates
> in the next two weeks or so! :-)

Thanks for the comforting words :-)

> > Funny, my ob/gyn never mentioned that correlation.
> > I hope my mother's experience was only related to the fact she had a
split
> > uterus (septum) - her labour did begin naturally (water broke) - but
then
> > again, I was 3 weeks early and feet first :-(

> Since your mom had a physically condition that contributed to her
difficult
> time & you don't share the condition, I would bet that her experience has
> little bearing on what you'll go through. Your mom definitely had a
> *extreme* situation. Wow. Every time I think about it, I feel bad for her!

Oh yes, that is so true. Still, the 3 weeks early and feet first part does
scare me a bit :-(


> Thanks! I'm still getting a A+ grade in pregnancy ;-)

LOL! Keep it up :-)

Elly
29 weeks + 4 days
EDD October 6th