@mamatowildones I'm glad the baby is staying put for now. Keep us updated!
So H and I went to our first labor and delivery class last night. We were only one of two groups due in May, everyone else was later. They had us do a "relaxation" exercise where we laid flat on the floor, focused on our breathing, and clenched/relaxed certain muscles as she told us to. Well, for one, I couldn't lay flat on the floor! I tried bringing my legs flat and had shooting pain in the back of my hips. Well, seeing all the other moms-to-be laying flat with apparent ease, I decided to be a trooper and at least lay down with my knees bent all the way up and my hands under the arch of my back as support, so there was less pressure on my hips. The whole time was still painful, not at all relaxing for me. Now I wish I would have just noped out of that activity, cause my hips feel bruised along the back today, they're just so sore. Can anyone else not lay on their back without cushioning (like a bed)? I couldn't believe I seemed to be the only one struggling.
@Louise_Belcher I recall some moms here talking about it and that there are risks that come with doing an external? Something about forcing a baby to switch position doesn't appeal to me, like what if they're that way in the first place for a reason? Plus I have also heard that its pretty painful!
I second this. My OB told me there are risks involved in forcing the baby to flip, and she mentioned the cord could get wrapped around their neck. Made me nervous enough that I don't think I would try it. Take it with a grain of salt, though, because I'm not an expert.
I third this. It wasn't worth the risk to baby and pain to me to do the external version. I did the spinning baby exercises. It didn't work. I had an uncomplicated csection, a healthy baby, and a good recovery.
May Siggy Challenge: Labor Memes
Me:31 DH:32 Married 11/06/10 DD: Born 8/23/13 (clomid+ovidrel+IUI) BFP 9/9/16 EDD 5/19/17
@NotAPlaya-JustCrushAlot - I have a similar thing going on in that when I'm pregnant, I love sparkling water. When I'm not pregnant, it grosses me out, but I've been buying La Croix by the cases lately.
I think it's funny that so many people are craving Slurpees/Icees. I had one this weekend for the first time in forever. It was delicious
@starphish18 no, you sound normal. That sounds like torture to me! FWIW we do the same exercise in prenatal class and our instructor has us bring two pillows so when we are laying on our sides we have something to put in between our knees.
@ChristinaWild yes! I'd have to look at the website to check, but they started a limited run last year where you could only order cases directly from the website. I believe they may be at the point now where there is retail distribution bit I'm not 100%.
*snip* So H and I went to our first labor and delivery class last night. We were only one of two groups due in May, everyone else was later. They had us do a "relaxation" exercise where we laid flat on the floor, focused on our breathing, and clenched/relaxed certain muscles as she told us to. Well, for one, I couldn't lay flat on the floor! I tried bringing my legs flat and had shooting pain in the back of my hips. Well, seeing all the other moms-to-be laying flat with apparent ease, I decided to be a trooper and at least lay down with my knees bent all the way up and my hands under the arch of my back as support, so there was less pressure on my hips. The whole time was still painful, not at all relaxing for me. Now I wish I would have just noped out of that activity, cause my hips feel bruised along the back today, they're just so sore. Can anyone else not lay on their back without cushioning (like a bed)? I couldn't believe I seemed to be the only one struggling.
We have our first class tonight! Guess I should change out of my dress when I get home just in case we have to do something similar! Anyway, I can't lay flat on my back either, pregnant or not. It just kills my back! I have to lay with my knees bent. Plus if the other couples were early on in their pregnancy maybe it was easier for them to do that, but seriously where we are at...come on! Aren't you not really supposed to lay flat on your back anyway??
"A day without laughter is a day wasted." ~Charlie Chaplin
Holy crap. TB won’t let me log in on mobile at all. I am so lost. Staying home from the NICU today with mastitis, so trying to catch up.
@starphish18 You sound totally normal. That would have ruined me if I had tried it. Agree with @CherryBananas - modify positions as you need to (laying on your side, using support props like pillows, etc. So sorry you suffered - maybe give the instructor feedback that modifications could be suggested?
@mamatowildones Glad things calmed down and you managed a HDBD pic!
Re: versions - there are certainly risks. Cord wrapping around the neck isn’t necessarily an urgent or emergent issue - lots and lots of babies come out with it wrapped once or even twice. It’s a super personal decision - I hope all of you ladies dealing with that possibility feel comfortable and supported by your provider, whatever decision is made.
Re: fluid intake - kidney docs always taught us to drink to thirst, and/or to drink enough so that your urine isn’t like apple cider. I’m horrible at drinking enough.
@ShadeofGreen816 - Low end of normal at 28 weeks is expected (there’s a nadir at the end of the 2nd trip) but certainly if you’re feeling symptomatic (ice crunching!), it might be a good idea to take iron. SlowFe is a super gentle formulation - it’s a slow-release tab and it has treated me really well since I started taking it postpartum (I had a Hgb of 9.8 when I was admitted to antepartum, I crunched all. the. ice. until it came up to 11-12 in 3 weeks then I stopped taking it after discharge - felt crappy within a week! Oops. I’m a horrible patient.) Oh, and taking iron with orange juice can help your GI tract absorb it better - not great for heartburn, however!
@mdlorenz: Sorry about the mastitis! It really is the worst. thing. ever. So, while you're home, are you still pumping? I think the prevailing wisdom is that getting the milk out (BFing or pumping) helps to heal things quicker. (And I'm sure you know all about the warm compresses and massage too!) (Even if it offers only a minimal relief, it's better than nothing.)
I was also thinking about you the other day, and curious about what you do with your pumped supply at the hospital. Is there a fridge/freezer there in which you store your stash?, that way the nurses have it on hand for feedings? Or do you have to transport it home? Curious about how that all works. Hang in there!
I know we talked about having a weekly labor thread. Should we start that next week? With @mamatowildones in possible labor and @Kipperoo being induced next week (right?) and then @BeachMommy2B has her cscetion the following week right? Plus I think all of the "May 1st EDD" turn 37 weeks next week and that is considered full term. Just a thought!
@mrsrep123 - Whaaaat?! That's incredibly unprofessional of them. I hope the union can shed some light on the topic, but I get that you're in a difficult position if you ultimately want to work there. I'm so sorry. I know you were looking forward to being back with your old colleagues.
@mamatowildones - Thought about you this morning. Hoping the steroid shots help. Hang in there!!
@mrsrep123 - That’s so frustrating. Not a lawyer but I can understand your hesitance about pushing back too hard. It just doesn’t seem right that they would let you go this long believing you have the job and then take it back.
Spending my day today comparing health insurance plans and reading through H’s company options. Yay! (note sarcasm) H met with his HR yesterday to go over their plan options and he kept texting me questions. I realized how much I don’t trust him to make these decisions. Was so relieved that he didn’t just sign up for something on the spot.
On a totally random note, I'm short and I drive a stick shift so I have to have the seat all the way forward in order to push the clutch in. I don't think this is going to work out the last few weeks as there's now like a centimeter between my belly and the steering wheel.
@michelle59-2 , yes! I responded on 4/3--you posted it on my wall. Here's what I wrote to you--definitely let me know if you have any other questions!!
Hi! Yes--definitely feel free to message me anytime!! That's great that your levels have come down--mine did the same with the medication and have been totally stable since early January. That's definitely a huge relief as the bile acids are what is harmful to the baby. As for the induction, I'm sure your doctor will have a recommendation, but my doctor team said that the induction is still necessary. Because they really don't know a lot about cholestasis and WHY it causes still birth, it's not something they are willing to risk. Also, because the bile acid results take a while to get back from the lab, there is always a period of unknown and from 36 weeks on, the bile acids can be really harmful/deadly to the baby, so it's not worth the risk. I was told that the standard of care is to induce at 36 weeks, so I'm going in for 2 rounds of steroid shots this week to help with lung development of the baby and in anticipation of induction next Tuesday. You are dealing with GD, right? I had that with my first pregnancy, too (along with the cholestasis)! No complications and an average size baby (considering he was born at 37 weeks due to the cholestasis induction).
I got my doctor to check for breech presentation and baby is head down! I was fully expecting him to be feet first. She said he has a 75% chance of staying that way at 34 weeks. They'll check again at 36 weeks. I might get my VBAC!
May Siggy Challenge: Labor Memes
Me:31 DH:32 Married 11/06/10 DD: Born 8/23/13 (clomid+ovidrel+IUI) BFP 9/9/16 EDD 5/19/17
@mdlorenz: Sorry about the mastitis! It really is the worst. thing. ever. So, while you're home, are you still pumping? I think the prevailing wisdom is that getting the milk out (BFing or pumping) helps to heal things quicker. (And I'm sure you know all about the warm compresses and massage too!) (Even if it offers only a minimal relief, it's better than nothing.)
I was also thinking about you the other day, and curious about what you do with your pumped supply at the hospital. Is there a fridge/freezer there in which you store your stash?, that way the nurses have it on hand for feedings? Or do you have to transport it home? Curious about how that all works. Hang in there!
I'm pumping every 2.5-3 hours now (I had been all over the place while going back and forth to the NICU and sleeping through my alarms overnight - from every 2 to 5 hours), so hopefully it will resolve within a few days. Thanks for the support!
When I'm at the hospital, they provide small 4 oz bottles that I pump into and store in a mini fridge in the room. I have a decent twin supply but super small boob storage capacity so I absolutely have to empty every 3-3.5 hours or I run into this problem. The babies are eating approx 50% of what I pump so they've stored quite a bit in their large freezers in the NICU and I've started to freeze my overnight pumps at home. That way, I just pump 3-4 times while I'm in the NICU and provide 24 hours of milk for them. The babies will ramp up their needs in the next few months so we'll run through that freezer supply quickly I'm sure. I make 1100-1400 mL per day and goal volume for twins is ~1500 mL. I'll have to re-evaluate what my expectations are once the babies are home. Hopefully they start nursing at least some of the time so I don't have to pump exclusively. My big girl has a super shallow latch and doesn't transfer more than 5-10 mL per feed attempt yet and my IUGR boy has never latched successfully. So we'll see...
@starphish18 I cannot lay on my back, let alone a hard surface. @mdlorenz Any news of when you get to take the twins home? It sounds like you're doing everything you can for pumping! Congrats @KMD1106 !
@mdlorenz sorry about the mastitis . I hope you're back to normal soon!! I've been pumping for Thomas as well, as he's not at all ready to try nursing or a bottle yet. I'm anxious that he won't want to nurse at all when the time comes! Is your girl getting better at the latching? Hope you're able to nurse more and pump less soon!!
I'm people watching in the Dunks in our hospital lobby after my weekly NST while DD and I have our donuts. This woman walked by heading out the door drinking from a hospital room water pitcher, complete with a straw. #really? #wontfitinyourcupholder
It’s not that I don’t like you, it’s that I don’t know you. Stranger Danger.
@RedInLove At least she's hydrating? @Jens_Hoes Thank you for starting the thread. I think weekly is good since we're all so active; it'll get too big otherwise I think.
@jayandaplus No idea when the babies will come home - NICUs are twitchy about giving exact dates since the kiddos really decide. Our last to-do item is to have the babies take 80% of their goal volumes by mouth (at breast or bottle, the latter of which is actually happening) for 2 days "ad lib" (that is, not necessarily on an every-3-hour schedule) *and* gain at least 20 grams per day OR for 5 days with positive weight gain overall. Little man got to 76% of his goal feeds by bottle in the last 24 hours so sh** is getting real there. Big girl is still in the 40s (mostly, I think, because I was working on latch and nursing with her and got her tuckered out so she didn't take as much from the bottle). It's common for twins to go home at different times.
@Squirtgun Pumping solidarity, mama! My girl isn't making big strides at all with latch, which breaks my heart on a bad day and seems totally reasonable and expected on a good day. The babies are only 36w4d so still in the category of "sleepy" and "learning how to do everything" but it's hard not to expect a 4 week old to get better at something (that is, if we practiced more than 1-3 times per day). I hope Thomas makes some good progress soon!
@mrsrep123 I am so sorry about them rescinding your offer. That is awful! @rkstro2 Thank you for the link! I plan on spending some time reading as much as I can once I get a moment. I am also very hopeful that its still early (33+2) and baby is just a late flipper. That is intense that some places do it under epidural! And totally scares the piss out of me since I cannot have one and I am a wimp. What kind of "exercises" are you doing? I spent some time last night doing both the knees on the couch elbows on the ground and pelvis propped up above my head with couch cushions. @kns1988 I am already freaking out about the cord issue! DS had flipped much earlier then this and was born with the cord wrapped around his neck twice. He was okay, but it certainly freaked me right out. I am so nervous that forcing this baby to flip would wrap him all up in the cord or hurt him some other way. @KMD1106 Thank you for sharing your experience. I am nervous about possibly needing a c-section, but I know it could be less complicated than causing issues with an external version. Congrats on baby being head down!! @mdlorenz I'm so sorry about the mastitis (and the lack of mobile bumping!) @LilMissCrafty I wouldn't trust my husband at all to make those decisions! He has no idea about any of our insurance that is through him.
ok totally forgot who to tag and this may be a silly question, but is there a particular brand of maternity underwear that anyone would suggest? I've just looked on amazon...I didn't think I'd need any, but my current underwear is driving me insane!
"A day without laughter is a day wasted." ~Charlie Chaplin
@mrsrep123 Was the new position with your current employer? You might have a claim there if they know you were pregnant and if offering you the position would have been their regular course of action. Did they give you a written offer?
DD's cord was around her neck at birth and it really wasn't a big deal. However, while I was laboring, her heart rate dropped whenever I laid on my left side and I always wonder if that was correlated. Doctor thought maybe it was.
@BabyMC517 I didn't want to spend a bunch since there's hopefully less than 3.5 weeks left, so honestly, I just bought the walmart kind... it was 2 pairs for $5.98 I think. They are GREAT! I bought them huge though
Re: Randoms and Questions 4.3-4.7
So H and I went to our first labor and delivery class last night. We were only one of two groups due in May, everyone else was later. They had us do a "relaxation" exercise where we laid flat on the floor, focused on our breathing, and clenched/relaxed certain muscles as she told us to. Well, for one, I couldn't lay flat on the floor! I tried bringing my legs flat and had shooting pain in the back of my hips. Well, seeing all the other moms-to-be laying flat with apparent ease, I decided to be a trooper and at least lay down with my knees bent all the way up and my hands under the arch of my back as support, so there was less pressure on my hips. The whole time was still painful, not at all relaxing for me. Now I wish I would have just noped out of that activity, cause my hips feel bruised along the back today, they're just so sore. Can anyone else not lay on their back without cushioning (like a bed)? I couldn't believe I seemed to be the only one struggling.
Me:31 DH:32 Married 11/06/10
DD: Born 8/23/13 (clomid+ovidrel+IUI)
BFP 9/9/16 EDD 5/19/17
@NotAPlaya-JustCrushAlot - I have a similar thing going on in that when I'm pregnant, I love sparkling water. When I'm not pregnant, it grosses me out, but I've been buying La Croix by the cases lately.
I think it's funny that so many people are craving Slurpees/Icees. I had one this weekend for the first time in forever. It was delicious
@nda_roxybabe @CherryBananas - hold the phone. Clearly Canadian was re-released?!? How did I miss this?
@mamatowildones - I hope he stays put! FX for you!!!
Married:09/14/13
Baby 2 - Due: 5/4/17
@ChristinaWild yes! I'd have to look at the website to check, but they started a limited run last year where you could only order cases directly from the website. I believe they may be at the point now where there is retail distribution bit I'm not 100%.
"A day without laughter is a day wasted." ~Charlie Chaplin
Married:09/14/13
Baby 2 - Due: 5/4/17
Holy crap. TB won’t let me log in on mobile at all. I am so lost. Staying home from the NICU today with mastitis, so trying to catch up.![:\](https://forums.thebump.com/resources/emoji/confused.png ":\")
@starphish18 You sound totally normal. That would have ruined me if I had tried it. Agree with @CherryBananas - modify positions as you need to (laying on your side, using support props like pillows, etc. So sorry you suffered - maybe give the instructor feedback that modifications could be suggested?
@mamatowildones Glad things calmed down and you managed a HDBD pic!
Re: versions - there are certainly risks. Cord wrapping around the neck isn’t necessarily an urgent or emergent issue - lots and lots of babies come out with it wrapped once or even twice. It’s a super personal decision - I hope all of you ladies dealing with that possibility feel comfortable and supported by your provider, whatever decision is made.
Re: fluid intake - kidney docs always taught us to drink to thirst, and/or to drink enough so that your urine isn’t like apple cider. I’m horrible at drinking enough.
@ShadeofGreen816 - Low end of normal at 28 weeks is expected (there’s a nadir at the end of the 2nd trip) but certainly if you’re feeling symptomatic (ice crunching!), it might be a good idea to take iron. SlowFe is a super gentle formulation - it’s a slow-release tab and it has treated me really well since I started taking it postpartum (I had a Hgb of 9.8 when I was admitted to antepartum, I crunched all. the. ice. until it came up to 11-12 in 3 weeks then I stopped taking it after discharge - felt crappy within a week! Oops. I’m a horrible patient.) Oh, and taking iron with orange juice can help your GI tract absorb it better - not great for heartburn, however!![:\](https://forums.thebump.com/resources/emoji/confused.png ":\")
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I was also thinking about you the other day, and curious about what you do with your pumped supply at the hospital. Is there a fridge/freezer there in which you store your stash?, that way the nurses have it on hand for feedings? Or do you have to transport it home? Curious about how that all works. Hang in there!
ETA I meant labor thread not birth thread.
@mamatowildones - Thought about you this morning. Hoping the steroid shots help. Hang in there!!
@mrsrep123 - That’s so frustrating. Not a lawyer but I can understand your hesitance about pushing back too hard. It just doesn’t seem right that they would let you go this long believing you have the job and then take it back.
Spending my day today comparing health insurance plans and reading through H’s company options. Yay! (note sarcasm) H met with his HR yesterday to go over their plan options and he kept texting me questions. I realized how much I don’t trust him to make these decisions. Was so relieved that he didn’t just sign up for something on the spot.
@mdlorenz so sorry about the mastitis! I had it with DS and it was the literal worst.
@mamatowildones any update from L&D?
On a totally random note, I'm short and I drive a stick shift so I have to have the seat all the way forward in order to push the clutch in. I don't think this is going to work out the last few weeks as there's now like a centimeter between my belly and the steering wheel.
Hi! Yes--definitely feel free to message me anytime!! That's great that your levels have come down--mine did the same with the medication and have been totally stable since early January. That's definitely a huge relief as the bile acids are what is harmful to the baby. As for the induction, I'm sure your doctor will have a recommendation, but my doctor team said that the induction is still necessary. Because they really don't know a lot about cholestasis and WHY it causes still birth, it's not something they are willing to risk. Also, because the bile acid results take a while to get back from the lab, there is always a period of unknown and from 36 weeks on, the bile acids can be really harmful/deadly to the baby, so it's not worth the risk. I was told that the standard of care is to induce at 36 weeks, so I'm going in for 2 rounds of steroid shots this week to help with lung development of the baby and in anticipation of induction next Tuesday. You are dealing with GD, right? I had that with my first pregnancy, too (along with the cholestasis)! No complications and an average size baby (considering he was born at 37 weeks due to the cholestasis induction).
Me:31 DH:32 Married 11/06/10
DD: Born 8/23/13 (clomid+ovidrel+IUI)
BFP 9/9/16 EDD 5/19/17
WOW, A MONTH AWAY FROM DD
23 y/o;
[05/06/17]
First time mommy
90% of the way there
Me:31 DH:32 Married 11/06/10
DD: Born 8/23/13 (clomid+ovidrel+IUI)
BFP 9/9/16 EDD 5/19/17
When I'm at the hospital, they provide small 4 oz bottles that I pump into and store in a mini fridge in the room. I have a decent twin supply but super small boob storage capacity so I absolutely have to empty every 3-3.5 hours or I run into this problem. The babies are eating approx 50% of what I pump so they've stored quite a bit in their large freezers in the NICU and I've started to freeze my overnight pumps at home. That way, I just pump 3-4 times while I'm in the NICU and provide 24 hours of milk for them. The babies will ramp up their needs in the next few months so we'll run through that freezer supply quickly I'm sure. I make 1100-1400 mL per day and goal volume for twins is ~1500 mL. I'll have to re-evaluate what my expectations are once the babies are home. Hopefully they start nursing at least some of the time so I don't have to pump exclusively. My big girl has a super shallow latch and doesn't transfer more than 5-10 mL per feed attempt yet and my IUGR boy has never latched successfully. So we'll see...
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@mdlorenz oh, im so sorry to hear about the mastitis, I looked it up /__\
hope you get some relief soon!
23 y/o;
[05/06/17]
First time mommy
90% of the way there
@mdlorenz Any news of when you get to take the twins home? It sounds like you're doing everything you can for pumping!
Congrats @KMD1106 !
@chailife34 is headed to the hospital again. I think anytime would be good to start our labor thread.
1st Baby 5/12/17, Henry
Married 8/27/2011
BFP #1 9/28/2011 DS born 5/22/2012
BFP #2 4/24/2013 m/c 4/25/2013 at 4w
BFP #3 1/31/2014 DD born 10/14/2014
BFP #4 1/20/2016 m/c 2/12/2014 at 7w2d
BFP #5 8/19/2016 DS2 born 4/29/2017
BFP #6 3/7/2018 EDD 11/18/2018
I've been pumping for Thomas as well, as he's not at all ready to try nursing or a bottle yet. I'm anxious that he won't want to nurse at all when the time comes! Is your girl getting better at the latching? Hope you're able to nurse more and pump less soon!!
I stole it all from Feb 17.
I thought we decided on a weekly one?
If not correct me.
Hope no one minds I started it.
It’s not that I don’t like you, it’s that I don’t know you. Stranger Danger.
@Jens_Hoes Thank you for starting the thread. I think weekly is good since we're all so active; it'll get too big otherwise I think.
Sweet Baby H 12.21.11
Sassy Baby P 03.26.14
Little Brother Due 05.22.17
@Squirtgun Pumping solidarity, mama! My girl isn't making big strides at all with latch, which breaks my heart on a bad day and seems totally reasonable and expected on a good day. The babies are only 36w4d so still in the category of "sleepy" and "learning how to do everything" but it's hard not to expect a 4 week old to get better at something (that is, if we practiced more than 1-3 times per day). I hope Thomas makes some good progress soon!
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@rkstro2 Thank you for the link! I plan on spending some time reading as much as I can once I get a moment. I am also very hopeful that its still early (33+2) and baby is just a late flipper. That is intense that some places do it under epidural! And totally scares the piss out of me since I cannot have one and I am a wimp. What kind of "exercises" are you doing? I spent some time last night doing both the knees on the couch elbows on the ground and pelvis propped up above my head with couch cushions.
@kns1988 I am already freaking out about the cord issue! DS had flipped much earlier then this and was born with the cord wrapped around his neck twice. He was okay, but it certainly freaked me right out. I am so nervous that forcing this baby to flip would wrap him all up in the cord or hurt him some other way.
@KMD1106 Thank you for sharing your experience. I am nervous about possibly needing a c-section, but I know it could be less complicated than causing issues with an external version. Congrats on baby being head down!!
@mdlorenz I'm so sorry about the mastitis (and the lack of mobile bumping!)
@LilMissCrafty I wouldn't trust my husband at all to make those decisions! He has no idea about any of our insurance that is through him.
DS2 5/17
#3 Due 9/20
"A day without laughter is a day wasted." ~Charlie Chaplin
DD's cord was around her neck at birth and it really wasn't a big deal. However, while I was laboring, her heart rate dropped whenever I laid on my left side and I always wonder if that was correlated. Doctor thought maybe it was.
May17 Siggy Challenge
Labor
1st Baby 5/12/17, Henry