2nd Tri Check-in Week of 4/11

riveridgional

This is a weekly check-in for those in their 2nd trimester: weeks 14 through the end of week 27.

Congrats to all the strong ladies who have made it this far! It's such a great feeling and we've all accomplished so much! We are now 1 week closer to the end of this especially long journey we call "infertility".

Please post below a little about yourself, how many beans you have growing inside, if you have found out the sex(es) and what your EDD is. Please also let us know how far you've made it on your journey and when your next appt is and what for.

Mommies to Be:

@mechelita44 EDD 7/20/16 with 1 bean!
@terramae80 EDD 8/4/16 with 1 boy!

@riveridgional EDD 8/6/16 with 1 boy!

@katie121209 EDD 8/19/16 with 1 girl! 

@Vagarcia16 EDD 8/23/16 with 1 girl!

@emsmama15 EDD 8/29/16 with 1 boy and 1 girl!

@chrissym126 EDD 9/8/16 with 1 bean! Team Green!

@piperella EDD 10/2/16 with 1 boy!


Congrats to the mommies who have graduated to the 3rd trimester!



QOTW: What fashion trend do you wish never happened?

TerraMae80

Morning Ladies! So I need to start taking my own advice but I'm freaking out anyways. two weeks ago I was feeling Wyatt move like crazy and in the last week I haven't felt him move nearly as much. I know it's normal, but it's scaring me. I have my doc appt next week for my 25 week check up and that is when my doc will tell me to start counting kicks. I believe it should be 4 within an hour. GAH. I swear there is never a stress free moment of pregnancy. I wish they did ultrasounds more often. 

Other than me freakin out, I've lost my huge appetite, I've been feeling a little nauseous at night and haven't been sleeping well. My hormones are raging and I hate people at my job. My husband is working his arse off getting our condo remodeled so that we can rent it out this summer. I so want to be in a bigger house with baby number two coming.  Right now the condo is perfect for the baby and maternity leave. Our room is huge, and we just got a glider and we'll put thr crib in there as well.  That mean my little 2yr old is getting himself a big boy bed for his second b-day on the 10th! So much is happening and I am an impatient girl. That doesn't go well with pregnancy LOL I am trying really hard to sit back and just go with the flow. I think my nesting is kicking in because all I want to do is clean and buy baby clothes. 

Whew, ok QOTW the trend I wish that never happened would be the Kylie Jenner lips. COME ON! 

Piperella

Hi all!  
So my anxiety got the best of me over the weekend and I ordered a fetal doppler this morning.  Even though my placenta is posterior, I still haven't felt flutter or anything (not that I would know what those feel like).  I didn't want to do a fb announcement, but in trying to control a bit of the circus, I am going to make a quick statement on fb because we told family/friends via mailed announcements they could open their mouths on 4/15.  I am freaking out that it has been two weeks since I have seen his little heartbeat, so I wanted to make sure I could hear it before saying anything later this week on fb.

*deep breath*
Nothing else really going on.  Last week I cried almost every single day.  I did not enjoy that at all, and am hoping that trend does not continue.  I also switched PCPs last week as my other ticked me right off by canceling my appt I was supposed to have this Friday.  I feel "fuller" now, like heavier in my middle section.  I'm guessing that is a normal feeling as Bojangles is gaining ounces weekly now.

QOTW: What fashion trend do you wish never happened? Low cut super skinny jeans?  I'm plus sized so low cut jeans gave me even more of a muffin top.  I couldn't even get skinny jeans over my calves..  I'm loving the legging fashion trend and have fully embraced it now that I'm pregnant.

mechelita44

Hi Mommies! 26 weeks this week  DH and I are going on our babymoon to Cali next week!!!! I cannot wait! This is a much needed getaway for the two of us that just can't come soon enough! We have class #2 of hypnobirthing tomorrow which we are really looking forward to. Not sure if any of you have taken a hypnobirthing class or plan on taking one, but I highly recommend it if you are looking for a drug-free natural birth. I know it's not for everyone, I was skeptic too, but to be honest, I am more afraid of getting an epidural than having a baby! 

@TerraMae80 I asked my doc about kick counts too because I knew keeping track would drive me insane -- in a bad way. They told me to pay attention to the baby's movement and his/her patterns, but not necessarily to count kicks. They said for me to take note of anything that was abnormal now that the baby is starting to move more. Baby kicks A LOT especially when I am resting or sitting at work, when I eat, go to bed or wake up. When I am active, I barely feel thing! I think our baby sleeps all weekend long and is awake all week. I guess that's his/her pattern? I also noticed that the more I stressed the less movement I felt too which of course, is stressful!

@piperella If it makes you feel any better, I didn't feel my first kick until 18 weeks and my first flutter was right around 15/16 weeks. My friend didn't feel a flutter til after 20 weeks. Every baby / mommy / pregnancy is different but I know how much anxiety it causes for sure. Deep breaths, they will come! And I am sure your home doppler will put you at ease too  I hope your weeks is on the up and up!

QOTW: This one isn't technically a fashion trend but hair trend. In high school my friends and I all got blonde highlights which looked great on most of the girls... but my hair is dark brown almost black which means that our not-so-fancy home hair dye kit from the drug store would always dye my hair orange... So my orange highlights are my fashion trend that I wish never happened!

TerraMae80

@Piperella With my first I didn't feel anything until I was 21 weeks. With the second I felt the flutters sooner because I knew what to feel and this time my placenta is posterior. With the first it was anterior. 15 weeks may be way too early to really feel anything. But like you, with the first pregnancy I also had a fetal doppler and I used that thing about twice a week. 

@mechelita44 I have been reading (i know, bad bad thing to do) online and since Wyatt is transverse, that is probably why I am not feeling as much. But it's funny you talk about the routine. This weekend he was so quit, and here I am at work and I am feeling him move like crazy. I think I feel more when I am sitting in this chair than when I am relaxed in bed or lounging on the couch. I rarely ever feel him when I am walking around, also read that they are rocked to sleep while you walk. AWWWWW

riveridgional

@TerraMae80 I'm glad you're feeling him more now!

@Piperella I also got a doppler, which was great for piece of mind once I could find the heartbeat myself at exactly 12 weeks. Before then, I hated it because I was starting to think the worst. It was fun hearing the movement before I could feel it (it'll sound like "bloop" or a record scratching). I didn't feel my first movement until midway through 18 weeks. It never felt like a flutter to me, more like a muscle twitch or spasm. I'm 23w2d now and they are getting much stronger now and still feel similar to a big muscle twitch, so I must have never recognized the flutters or I didn't have them. DH felt the first kick at 19w1d but said the one he felt a week or two ago was way different. His reaction was so cute. Now, we're able to watch my belly jump when he kicks. Can't wait for you to experience them yourself! It's great to be able to just take them in and appreciate where we are and how far we've come! I've always known I'd be a mom (we would have adopted), but never knew I'd be able to experience those magnificent kicks!

@mechelita44 so excited for you for your baby moon! Hypnobirthing sounds interesting. I wasn't sure about taking a pain management/natural birth class until last week. I figured I'd probably just be able to watch some videos online. However, I just learned that my hospital won't admit you until you're 6cm dilated with contractions 5 minutes apart, 1 minute long for 1-2 (usually closer to 2 hours). The nurse teaching the class said, "You won't be walking into the hospital smiling like the girls on these outdated videos." So, being my first and having zero ideas for pain expectations, I'll probably take some type of class! My thought of going all natural is pretty much all gone by now though I do want to be prepared for it in case the epidural doesn't work.

I had an OB appointment last Thursday, which was luckily uneventful. She said I might need to start wearing a maternity belt to relieve some discomfort I've been having between my legs when trying to get out of bed, take off shoes, and put on pants (basically anytime all my weight is in one foot), but I'm going to try to hold off on that for a while and see if baby boy will move up. He likes to hang out and kick very low. I was worried the discomfort I was feeling was possibly due to an incompetent cervix, but she said it's totally normal especially when the baby likes to hang out low.

I also have my registry as finalized as it can be, which is a huge weight off my shoulders. I had no idea how much it was stressing me out. I registered for a lot haha, so we'll see what I get! I'm also working on a guest list for my shower. My hosts have set it for June 18, and I'll be 33 weeks exactly then! At first I thought the date seemed a little early, but now I'm excited to have more time to unpack/set up the gifts and get the remaining items we need. So excited, actually! 

My second childbirth class is tomorrow night, and I'm looking forward to it. We're discussing interventions and c-sections (did general pregnancy and vaginal birth last week).

I've also finally made progress on clearing out the craft room/office to turn it into the nursery. Habitat for Humanity is supposed to come pick up and take away the furniture next week, and I can't wait to have the room cleared out!

It was definitely a weekend for crossing items off my 2-page to-do list! I'm happy my husband made me start writing a to-do list. I kept becoming super overwhelmed and unable to actually do anything. The list has made it so much easier to see "simple" or "little" things to accomplish when I don't have much time.

We're going on our babymoon on Wednesday to Stowe, Vermont. Thanks to Zika, the Caribbean/Mexico was no longer a possibility, but we're kinda glad it pushed us out of our comfort zone. We're now going somewhere we would have never thought to visit. I'm looking forward to relaxation and no work!

QOTW: high waisted cut off Jean shorts. I've only been able to see 2 people pull these off in real life. 

emsmama15

@mechelita44 - oh my goodness - that reminded me of my one foray into using lemon juice as a teen.  It made all my friends have lighter hair and it made mine orange.  Talk about wanting to forget!!  

@riveridgional - the maternity belt has helped me SO much.  You might find you like it.  It just takes all the pressure off and lifts my babies up so instead of kicking me in the cervix, they only get my lower abdomen.  It's a lot more comfortable.  Though, I still have discomfort when standing up too quickly, twisting, doing stairs, etc.  

I'm 20w1d today.  Feeling pretty good.  I think I've been having Braxton Hicks contractions over the past few days if I walk too much and/or don't drink enough water.  My abdomen gets really hard and I have some pressure in the lower half of my abdomen.  It usually goes away if I lay down for a while.  It makes me nervous though.  I may call my OB just to check in.    I had no contractions of any kind with my daughter (scheduled c-section), so this is all new territory for me.  

QOTW:  See above regarding lemon juice in the hair.  But also, pretty much all of the 80s.  Seriously, the pinned jeans, the big hair.  All of it.  I look at pictures and just shake my head...

TerraMae80

@emsmama15 omg the lemon juice! I used to buy that Sun In all the time too! Man, the 80's were fun! You know what I just thought of...in the 90's the Birkenstocks were HUGE and those are coming back! What the heck?! lol And now all the flannels tied around the waist are coming back too. I see all these tweens and teens dressing like I did in the 90's, it's a trip! Now if only the 90's grunge would make a come back! 

riveridgional

@emsmama15 Which maternity belt did you buy? Does it cause bulk or look funny under your clothes? I know this is so stupid sounding, but I'm loving my maternity fashion!  I love my outfits and showing off the bump, so I'm trying to hold off on the belt partly cause I don't want it to ruin my love for the clothes. I rarely bought myself clothes since we started TTC and am loving the looks and feel of wearing something new! 

chrissym126

@Piperella, I thought I was reading too much on pregnancy, so I stopped over a month ago (I just call my doctor's office if I have a concern) and then I read your post and I was like, my gosh, is my placenta posterior? Is it supposed to be? I just googled it, and then decided to obey my own advice and stop the Google madness. I'm sorry about the crying--I had that too around the week you are in your pregnancy, and luckily, it stopped, but if it doesn't, I hope everyone in your life is good to you.

Have fun on your babymoon, @mechelita44! 

I'm 18w6d (the anatomy scan pushed my due date to 9/7, but I still say this baby is coming whenever he or she wants to), and I have yet to feel a kick, but I swear I've felt flutters. Either that, or I just ate too big a lunch? I eagerly await my first kick but I will try my best not to worry. We're doing one more ultrasound at week 22 and then I'm moving to a regular schedule, so I just keep that in my mind as something to look forward to! My stomach is definitely getting more and more prominent, but not so big that I get comments from strangers.

Fashion trend I wish had never happened? Me in stirrup pants and oversized sweaters in the early 90s. 

emsmama15

@riveridgional - I got one from my OB's office that has a REALLY wide belt in back for extra support, but the first one I had even helped and was much thinner.  It was from Motherhood Maternity, I think.  My friend got one on Amazon she really likes.  Both are fine underneath my clothes since they sit low, under the belly.  I can't tell I have it on from the outside.  I wear fitted shirts to show off the bump.    

@chrissym126 - OH MY GOD!  I forgot about stirrup pants!!  Good one!!

riveridgional

So, I found out last night at my 4 part pregnancy / childbirth class that my hospital is the only in my state to offer nitrous oxide as a pain relief option. Apparently it's a relatively new thing. The instructor phrased it as not really having any cons to it. Anyone else heard about this?

Piperella

@riveridgional - I went for a hospital tour last night and we heard about nitrous oxide being available for pain management as well.  They also mentioned acupuncture and aromatherapy - the nurses having been trained in all these things.. So many more options to think about.  I didn't get any other information about the nitrous oxide, but I mean, if I'm happy and giggling while in labor, that should help, right?

TerraMae80

After all this talk of the belly band I ordered one.  There is one on Amazon that is the #1 Best seller and it's cheap. I  ordered it and should get it early next week. As I sit here typing I am holding the side of my stomach. OUCHIE! I really hope the band helps. It is the Bracoo Breathable Abdominal Binder and Maternity Back Support, One Size, Pink

emsmama15

@riveridgional and @piperella - I have no experience with using nitrous for labor - they haven't started it at the hospital I work for yet - but I've heard GREAT things.  As a side note, my daughter had to have a test done on her kidneys after a kidney infection.  She had to have a catheter placed and dye was pushed up into her bladder.  She got nitrous for it and she giggled and laughed through the whole thing, put her hand on my face and said "I love you Mama" more than once.  She acted like she was drunk and was completely fine within a minute of stopping the nitrous.  I'd totally try it!!   

Piperella

@emsmama15  What a great experience your daughter had!  I can't imagine it totally takes away from labor pain but I'm very interested in it now.  I never had it when going to the dentist, so I have no idea how I will react.  haha!  I'm guessing the DH will have some priceless video excerpts when it's all said and done.

katie121209

Great to see everyone's updates! As I will be 22 weeks this Friday I'm wondering when I'm going to start feeling baby. The dr told me that with the thickness of my abdomen/uterus and the positioning in my lower front belly it would take longer to feel kicks. I thought I felt something 3 or 4 weeks ago but with nothing since then it was probably gas. In the meantime I am trying to finalize colors for the nursery. We are going with an ocean theme Hope everyone is having a great week!

TerraMae80

@katie121209 I was in the same boat with my first and I didn't start feeling movement until 21 weeks. And that was when I would lay on my back and drink cold water to get him to move a little. Then I don't think I really felt a lot until about week 27. I got lucky with this one and my placenta is in the back. 

TerraMae80

OMG V-DAY!   

chrissym126

@TerraMae80, you look great! I appreciate knowing it took you until 21 weeks. My husband, who has been so calm until now, is the one who's worried about not feeling kicks yet. I told him first time moms don't feel them until 18-22 weeks, but I think he's just impatient!

Does anyone else love Call the Midwife? I think nitrous oxide might've been a topic on an episode last season. Warning: I ugly cry during every episode, so be forewarned.