FTM Check-In: week of 6/5

jacksonbears

Sorry this is late!

How far along are you? 

Any appointments this week/last? How did it go?

Cravings?

Rants/Raves?

Questions for FTM, STM+?

GTKY: If an actor or actress had to play you in a movie, who would it be??

jacksonbears

Sorry I posted the thread late, read rant  below...

How far along are you? 29 weeks and 4 days

Any appointments this week/last? How did it go? Today. other than rant below, we heard the heartbeat, and she's measuring just fine. 

Cravings? Chocolate! But I'm noticing I'm getting full easier, doctors said its normal. 

Rants/Raves? So on Saturday, my back started aching, and there was a noticeable shooting pain by my shoulder blade that kept coming back every 10-15 minutes. I figured it was how I slept. Saturday night, I propped pillows in my bed (I was sleeping at my sisters, we had a bridal shower the next day), to give me more support, and on Sunday the pain was worse. I was fighting through the pain, and at the bridal shower, my friend said it's likely a pinched nerve. I had my 30 weeks checkup this morning, I told the doctor, and for some reason I burst into tears. I explained the back pains, and constant rib pains. He said likely it's a pinched nerve or a pulled muscle. If it doesn't go away in the next few days to call my regular doctor. I felt like he could have done more. I was left with not much guidance. As long as the baby is healthy, I'm fine, I'll fight through the pain, but I still wanted more reassurance from the doc. 

Questions for FTM, STM+? Anyone who can relate to my rant above, any advice? 

GTKY: If an actor or actress had to play you in a movie, who would it be?? I would think either Mila Kunis or Zoe Saldano. 

mokay19

How far along are you?  30 weeks

Any appointments this week/last? How did it go? Just the 3 hour glucose last week that went mediocre at best. I have to cut back on carbs aka everything delicious 

Cravings? Everything I can no longer eat

....well, TB deleted half my post but I have to go back to work now

imwithbaby

@jacksonbears oh no! I'm so sorry. I feel like tears warrant a more sympathetic response! Have you reached out to your regular doc?

How far along are you? 29 weeks tomorrow

Any appointments this week/last? How did it go? Was supposed to get the Rhogam shot last week but insurance is being a total PITA and my midwife had to fight with them to get it covered. So that's now on the schedule for this week.

Cravings? Chocolate still! And fruit. And deli meat.

Rants/Raves? Insurance is annoying. Also, babe was totally head down but now she's back to being diagonal. I'm obsessing about positioning! 

Questions for FTM, STM+? Not right now!

GTKY: If an actor or actress had to play you in a movie, who would it be?? Ummmmmm I love Kristin Wiig so maybe her even though we look nothing alike. Emma Watson is a solid second choice.

littlebug2010

@jacksonbears Im sorry about the pain.  I know a lot of people who have gone to see chiropractors during pregnancy to help relieve pain.  I dont really have any other advice, but I hope this pain goes away for you soon! 

How far along are you?  31 weeks tomorrow 

Any appointments this week/last? How did it go? Going in this week, on Thursday.  

Cravings? Sweet things still.  I HAD to have ice cream this weekend, so I had it twice! 

Rants/Raves?
Rave: DH surprised me with a couples massage for this weekend!  The place is one of the only ones around that does a la carte massages for couples.  So I get the bump alert massage, and he gets a deep tissue one!  I didnt really expect to have one, becuase most places around here make you book like 4 and its a whole thing, plus they are like 600 bucks.  But I guess he had been searching for a while and found this place!  I cant wait! 

Rant:  Well I got my rings off my left hand, but my promise ring is totally stuck on my right hand.  I dont know if Im going to be able to get it off, without someone cutting it off for me  .  This ring is 9.5 years old, and the idea of having to get it cut off terrifies me.  Its so special, and even as I told DH about that, I started to cry.  I tried the string method, and the issue was that its an odd shape, so It kept getting caught, and it actually started to really hurt as I was doing it.  

Worry:  I am nervous about my OB appointment on thursday, mostly becuase I two weeks ago, I had a lot of protein in my urine, and between that and the swelling I was having, my OB told me that I could be showing signs of pre-e.  She said that more likely it was just dehydration, but that if in the next appointment or two, I dont show any changes in swelling and protein, they might have to put me on pre-e watch.  Basically putting me on bed rest . .  . So now Im nervous about this appointment.  I just want everythign to be back to normal! 

Questions for FTM, STM+? Not right now

GTKY: If an actor or actress had to play you in a movie, who would it be?? I have NO clue!  I dont feel like I look like any, but I do really love Reese Witherspoon, so if It didnt matter if they looked like me, I would pick her! 

britvahok

@littlebug2010 I can't remember if I asked you this last week, sorry if you already answered it. Did your OB have you do a 24 hour urine collection after they found protein in your urine?

kvh22

@jacksonbears ugh, that's rough. I had excruciating RLP 2 weeks ago (I actually cried b/c of the pain before getting some Tylenol in my system). I agree - as long as the baby is fine, I can deal with it, but I wanted a more helpful answer from my doctor. I hope it resolves on it's own soon. If it's a pulled muscle, would a heating pad (off and on so as not to raise your body temp) help? That was a lifesaver for me.

How far along are you? 29 weeks

Any appointments this week/last? How did it go? Regular check-in last week and the baby's arrhythmia was gone! Hoping the same is true in 2 weeks and we can cancel our fetal echo scheduled for 32 weeks.

Cravings? Finally developing a taste for red meat but I think that's because I've been forcing myself to eat more of it since finding out I am very slightly iron deficient.

Rants/Raves? Rave: Our glider is all set up! This was the last big piece of furniture we needed to get and I am over the moon. I had asked for recommendations so thanks again to @bumpybump, @JWatt5 and @szwill86 - we love our Best Home Furnishings chair. Rant: BRU online customer service was a nightmare. Super friendly but not enabled to assist by Toys R Us rules at all. Due to a defect in the chair frame, one of the bolts couldn't screw in to attach the base. DH had to carry the chair up 2 flights of stairs, then back down, then up again. So thankful that when I brought it back to the store, they had a brand new one (already assembled that morning!) in stock they let us take for the inconvenience instead of having wait a week for it to come in and go back a 3rd time to pick it up.

Questions for FTM, STM+? Any good book recommendations (baby-related in general, sleep, breastfeeding, etc.)? I was thinking of starting a thread for recommendations/reviews but wasn't sure if that would be of broad interest so figured I'd start here. I listened to Bringing up Bebe and The Sh!t No One Tells You for free with an audible trial while traveling. They were entertaining and I feel like I picked up a few tidbits of advice but basically, those were just to pass the time/keep entertained. I'm also working through The Happiest Baby on the Block which was a free Amazon download and have the Mayo Clinic's book on Baby's First Year which I haven't started.

GTKY: If an actor or actress had to play you in a movie, who would it be?? Maybe Emma Stone? Aside from the hair color, I think her sense of humor also aligns with mine (dry, sarcastic).

mrsjqg1024

How far along are you? 28 weeks and 2 days

Any appointments this week/last? How did it go? Had one last Wednesday where I did my 1 hour glucose screening. Found out today that I failed..

Cravings? Sweets, but I clearly need to lay off of those now. 

Rants/Raves? Rant: Really upset that I failed my 1 hour although I can't say I'm super surprised. When I go for my yearly blood work, it seems that my glucose is always on the high side of normal. Plus we had just gotten back from 5 days of travel (with my baby shower) where we ate like crap and then I had my 1 hour the next day. My number was 148. So they are sending me instructions about how/when to do the 3 hour. 

Also, I've been having a lot of mid/upper back pain and finally got in to see a chiropractor today. Everything they did felt great at the time but now that I'm home teleworking and sitting down, I'm still having the pain. Not sure what to do. @jacksonbears You can try to see a chiro. For me they think one of my ribs is out of place and making the muscles around the area tight. Try and see one though that's experienced with working with pregnant women.

Questions for FTM, STM+? None right now. 

GTKY: If an actor or actress had to play you in a movie, who would it be?? Oh I'm always bad at this question. People say I look like Sarah Jessica Parker so maybe her?

imwithbaby

@kvh22 what did you think about Bringing Up Bebe? I also have Happiest Baby on the Block on my list---didn't know that was one of the free downloads on amazon!

Other parenting books I have on my list are those by Janet Lansbury (No Bad Kids: Toddler Discipline Without Shame & Elevating Child Care: A Guide to Respectful Parenting) because I'm nervous about spanking. I know we will definitely use it in extreme cases, but 90% of the times I see parents spank their kids it's because THEY are upset/angry. And I don't ever want to hit my kid out it anger. I do believe in discipline, but I think it can be done while still showing your child respect and not shaming them, if that makes sense.

Feliciosity

@jacksonbears Aw! That's awful when you don't get reassurance from the doctor! A massage might help? Since it might be a nerve thing, I would look into finding someone that not only does pregnancy massage, but implements acupressure (similar science to acupuncture, but with hands instead of needles) in their routine. Speaking from experience, it makes a world of difference!

@littlebug2010 Hang in there! I hope things go well at your next appointment!

How far along are you? 
31 + 4

Any appointments this week/last? How did it go?
I was supposed to have one last Friday but they called me Thursday evening and rescheduled me. I am now being seen tomorrow.

Cravings?
Meats, cheeses, and fruit/fruit juice

Rants/Raves?
I learned a valuable lesson over the weekend. DH has been a little depressed recently. He's been dismissing it and telling me not to worry, but yesterday he seemed REALLY down. I asked him about it again and this time he opened up. He admitted he has been worrying about being able to provide more for me and LO so I don't have to go back to work (bless his heart). Work has been hard for him recently, because they have been asking a lot of him (manager-worthy things) but they will not promote him from supervisor. I spent a long time reassuring him. Through that, I realized that for the last month or so he has been spending his weekends doing things to help me or other people and not taking any time to really relax. 

This experience really reminded me that, yes, we carry the baby... but daddys-to-be go through a stress of their own as well. I've learned to be more aware of this and make sure he gets the rest he needs too. His "weekends" are Tues/Wed, so I convinced him to call out "sick" today so he'd have 3 days for some R&R. I promised not to give him any honey-dos unless I really needed to. Hopefully he will bounce back soon.

Questions for FTM, STM+?
Based on the rant above, I have been wanting to do something special for DH for Father's Day. I know the things he normally likes, but does anyone have any experience/ideas for a daddy-related gift or activity?

GTKY: If an actor or actress had to play you in a movie, who would it be??
I have no idea how to answer this! I am terrible at telling a lot of actors/actresses apart most of the time... the few I can recall don't look at all like me or are even remotely close to my age so... yeah. I fail at this one.

kvh22

@littlebug2010 good luck on Thursday! Hopefully it was just dehydration and all will be good. Drink lots of water this week so that you'll know for sure - and either ease your concern or get the medical treatment you need. Fingers crossed!

@mrsmatt1212 I went into reading (listening to) Bringing up Bebe thinking of it as a comparison between two cultures, not as a how-to. It's a lot of personal and anecdotal stories with a few interviews/research findings from doctors in both the US and France veryyy lightly sprinkled in. My main takeaways where I'd be interested in applying the info were around sleep (employing "the pause"), tantrums, and treating kids with respect/being strict about 1 or 2 things (so that they learn "no" but don't feel like it's constant). If you go into it thinking it's going to be a "how-to," it can seem a bit impossible and/or offensive to the American way of raising children. I really enjoy anthropology so found this interesting from that perspective.

Happiest Baby on the Block was recommended in my "Fourth Trimester" care class (swaddling, sleeping, bathing, etc.) so when I saw it was a free download with your amazon registry, I bought it. Not sure if that's still the case as it was a few months ago. Now that I've used up all my free purchases between the audible trial and that book, I want to make sure anything I pay for is actually valuable.

ETA: @Feliciosity - I saw this gift that was a shirt for the dad-to-be and a onesie. The shirt said "you're killing me smalls" and the onesie said "smalls." DH loves baseball and the Sandlot is a classic so I've thought about ordering it for him. Not sure if you have something personal like that he'd like for the baby (a onesie with his favorite team, alma mater, etc., maybe?). Or you could try to tackle something on his to-do list that might make him feel less overwhelmed.

DeansGirl14

How far along are you? 31+ 4

Rants/Raves? We had a wonderful shower this weekend  

Questions for FTM, STM+? Yes! Diapers! Brands! I hear that various diapers fit babies in different ways (seems like our jeans shopping, yes?). How did you find the right diapers for your kid- did you try different brands and just do trial/error? Did you simply buy the low price/store generics to save money? Did you have one brand/type for day wear and one for night? One of my coworkers said she swore by a certain brand just for nighttime, so I was curious. 
We received some Pampers and Luvs at the shower. We do most of our shopping at Aldi and they have their own brand of diaper we are going to try. Then of course people say Amazon, and certain brands are on their for cheaper than the store...
We're not doing cloth though, for sure. So, suggestions on finding the "right" disposable would be great! 

GTKY: If an actor or actress had to play you in a movie, who would it be?? Kirsten Dunst. I've always loved her. 

littlebug2010

@britvahok No she didnt.  The nurse was the one who talked to me about it, and becuase I had recently been traveling, both the nurse and OB said it was most likely dehydration.  I thought it was odd that that was all they were doing, considering they were throwing around pre-e as well.  I had protein in my urine earlier on in the pregnancy too (I went back to my old records to check) and they never said anything about it to me.  

jacksonbears

thanks for the well wishes everyone! @mrsmatt1212, if it doesn't go away by wednesday I'm going to call my regular doctor so she can recommend me for a chiropractor.

littlebug2010

Sorry for the double post, but I pressed reply to soon, and if you tag in edits, people dont get notifications. 

@kvh22  I dont know if you are planning to pump at work or not, but if you are, I have been reading Work Pump Repeat, and the milk memos.  Both have been a great, lighter, read about going back to work and pumping.  Neither one is scientific, but more about the moms perspective. They have great info as well.   Also, thanks!  I know at least some of the swelling was from dehydration, becuase I can see a huge difference in my feet and ankles.  Ill be sure to update after my appointment! 

@Feliciosity thanks!  Ill be sure to update later this week.  My DH has been stressing about similar stuff.  I think something that helped him this weekend was getting back to a normal routine, and just spending it as the two of us.  He got to run a 5k race (he's a big runner), and I got to cheer him on!  We also spent most of Saturday wandering the city.  We went on a date Sunday night, and got to chill.  We both said it was the best weekend we had had in months.  We are planning to do the same on the last few free weekends we have! 

SouthernMama15

Questions for FTM, STM+? Yes! Diapers! Brands! I hear that various diapers fit babies in different ways (seems like our jeans shopping, yes?). How did you find the right diapers for your kid- did you try different brands and just do trial/error? Did you simply buy the low price/store generics to save money? Did you have one brand/type for day wear and one for night? One of my coworkers said she swore by a certain brand just for nighttime, so I was curious. 
We received some Pampers and Luvs at the shower. We do most of our shopping at Aldi and they have their own brand of diaper we are going to try. Then of course people say Amazon, and certain brands are on their for cheaper than the store...
We're not doing cloth though, for sure. So, suggestions on finding the "right" disposable would be great! 

It was trial and error for us. The hospital provided Pampers and they leaked awful. I loved Huggies little snugglers, Luvs broke him out, and Target brand leaked. We had lots of small and large packages of different brands so we opened the small ones to see what worked and exchanged the others. Once he got bigger and started wiggling at night, we got the Huggies overnights until he transitioned to Huggies snug and dry. Right before he turned one we changed to Huggies little movers.  We're potty training now and using some Pull Ups as well. For this go round I bought a small pack of Pampers, a small back of Huggies, and a small pack of Luvs. My sister has some my nephew out grew so I may see what brands has and try them, too.  Also, don't buy too many newborn size, they put DS in a size 1 right away as most brands size 1 start at 8 pounds and my little chunker was 9 pounds 5 oz and this little guy is on track to be big as well. For us he seemed to be in size 2 and 4 the longest.

knottie0d8cc4d43bacc09f

@mrsmatt1212 I'm obsessed with positioning too! DD was breech at our 20-week ultrasound. Then I asked my OB if she could tell what position she was in last week and she said head down. So now I'm paranoid she's going to turn back at the last minute haha. 

@littlebug2010 That's scary that the nurse mentioned possible pre-e. Fingers crossed it's just dehydration and you can keep chugging water for the next few weeks!

@kvh22 @mrsmatt1212 I really enjoyed reading Bringing up Bebe. I thought it was entertaining but also made total sense at the same time. Especially the sleep tips like "the pause" that kvh mentioned. Not full-on crying it out, but basically not jumping and picking baby up every time they make a whimper. Newborns are loud (apparently) and you could actually be waking them! I had no idea. I'm like 20 pages into the Mayo Clinic newborn book...it's so long and I feel like by the time I finish the whole book, I'll have forgotten every detail they tell you. It's definitely very practical, helpful info. 

How far along are you? 30+5

Any appointments this week/last? How did it go? Had one last Friday which went well. OB said baby was head down which was nice to hear. Of course there's still lots of turn for her to turn back and forth, but it was good to know where she currently is hanging out.

Cravings? Not too bad at the moment.. like others mentioned, I'm starting to get more full so I've just been grazing as opposed to eating huge meals. Still liking popcorn.

Rants/Raves? Rave: Had my baby shower yesterday! It was beautiful and I was so grateful to everyone who came and brought gifts. I tried to fly through the present opening while still giving everyone enough thanks/attention. Hopefully it wasn't too boring for everyone  . Also had our all-day birth prep class on Saturday. It went much better than I thought. We practiced different breathing exercises with our partners, pushing positions and took a tour of the maternity ward. 

Slight rave/annoyance: Had to LOL at everyone at the shower who would come up and touch my stomach and expect LO to start kicking. "Any kicks?" *hand on stomach*. No...she doesn't kick on command, sorry. 

Questions for FTM, STM+? Is anyone NOT getting a 3rd tri ultrasound? I asked my OB if I'd get a growth scan since I saw a bunch of people mentioning it here. She said they don't typically do them unless there's a concern.. anyone disagree/have a different experience?

GTKY: If an actor or actress had to play you in a movie, who would it be?? This is a hard one! I'd like to think Tina Fey because she's sarcastic and witty, but I'm totally not as funny. 

imwithbaby

@secicc12 no more ultrasounds for us! We'll get one if I make it to 41 weeks (please no) just to make sure everything is still good with fluid levels. Hopefully I will NOT need that and baby will come before then! ACOG doesn't recommend any standard u/s after 20 weeks because they're not medically necessary (unless you have an issue/are high risk). --- And +1 for the belly touch and wanting to feel her "kick". It doesn't work that way, people. 

bumpybump

@secicc12 I hope not to have another ultrasound. Strange to say since I had soooo many with DD. But they would just want to check LOs size to see if a VBAC is possible. Which, btw, is not a good way to judge if I can VBAC or not. So, yeah. 

jacksonbears

@secicc12 I'm not getting anymore either unless there's a medical reason for it. I asked again at my appointment today, I would LOVE to see her again! 

littlebug2010

@secicc12 As of right now, I'm not having another us. Poor DH wants to have another one to see his face, but there aren't any plans as of yet. And thanks!  It was scary for her to mention pre-e, but the fact that they didn't seem super concerned made me feel better. I just want this next ob appointment to go well. 

Feliciosity

@secicc12 No more scans for me either. I was wondering about that too since I feel like I have seen a lot of ladies mention getting a growth scan. My OB had the same response: not necessary unless there was some sort of risk. I'd love to see my LO again, but I am also grateful the pregnancy is going well.

SouthernMama15

I'm having at least one more (this week) at 30+5 just to double check my placenta and make sure it's still where it should be. Also, DS was really big even though he always measured on track with fundal height and she wants to see how big he is. At my last appointment she said I hide my babies well. 

Feliciosity

@kvh22 Thank you! A long time ago I saw some craft beer-themed onesies on Etsy (DH's career and passions are in craft beer/breweries). Luckily, I had them saved in my favorites! They say things Like "Home Brewed", "Daddy Loves Me More Than Craft Beer", "I Drink Local", and so on. I completely forgot about them until your suggestion! I am so excited now!!

Kathryn0903

How far along are you? 

31 weeks 5 days

Any appointments this week/last? How did it go?

Appointment Friday with an ultrasound. @secicc12 I get ultrasounds every 3 weeks for the remainder because I have high blood pressure which is sometimes linked to low birth weight 

Cravings?

Ice cream!

Rants/Raves?

Rant: DH just lost his summer class to teach that was supposed to start tomorrow.

Questions for FTM, STM+?

None currently

GTKY: If an actor or actress had to play you in a movie, who would it be??
This is hard. Don't know who would look like me

BlackNYellow

How far along are you? 29 + 2 

Any appointments this week/last? How did it go? Just my glucose test on Saturday. I haven't heard anything yet so I'm hoping that's good! 

Cravings? All the vegetables! 

Rants/Raves? Rant: I was exhausted last week and now I have insomnia. Who knows what next week will entail. 

Rave: I'm going to 4moms tomorrow to test out some products. I'll be compensated for my time with a $100 gift card. Woohoo! 

Questions for FTM, STM+? I'm starting to organize LOs nursery. What must haves did you keep in your diaper caddy and near your glider? Did you have a diaper station for each floor of your house? 

GTKY: If an actor or actress had to play you in a movie, who would it be?? I had to ask DH -he said Daisy Ridley (sp?) -the girl that plays Rey in Star Wars Rogue One. She's pretty kick ass and I'd like to think I am too! Haha 

HappyToBeHere

@DeansGirl14 - we exclusively used Pampers Swaddlers with DD; they seemed to keep the moisture out, and I got too used to the yellow line idea to move to anything else. We tried others, but she seemed to get sweatier with others.

@BlackNYellow - my must-have close to the rocking chair when DD finally started sleeping in her nursery was a light that was dimmable (sp?). I wanted a soft light that could be dimmed so that I could still see enough to put her into her crib at night. I kept diapers and wipes on both floors of the house, and in a couple different rooms on each floor (the ones we frequented most).

littlebug2010

@BlackNYellow This is what Im planning (Im a FTM, so I might be missing things).  Near the glider, I will have burp cloths, a light (something that dims for night time feeding), snacks, a water bottle, and a phone charger so I can bump while I feed!  I will also have pumping supplies when the time comes.  I am planning on making a diaper caddy for the 1st floor, filled with diapers, extra clothes, wipes, and other things (not sure what yet) so that I dont have to go upstairs for changes.  I am planning on making a small nursing one as well, incase I cant get upstairs for the first few days.  I will also have a basket in each bathroom filled with supplies for me, pads, wipes, etc.  

mokay19

littlebug2010 said:

@BlackNYellow This is what Im planning (Im a FTM, so I might be missing things).  Near the glider, I will have burp cloths, a light (something that dims for night time feeding), snacks, a water bottle, and a phone charger so I can bump while I feed!  I will also have pumping supplies when the time comes.  I am planning on making a diaper caddy for the 1st floor, filled with diapers, extra clothes, wipes, and other things (not sure what yet) so that I dont have to go upstairs for changes.  I am planning on making a small nursing one as well, incase I cant get upstairs for the first few days.  I will also have a basket in each bathroom filled with supplies for me, pads, wipes, etc.  

@littlebug2010 this all sounds awesome! I keep thinking about these things and I just need to actually do it haha

littlebug2010

I cant say that I have done any of this yet, but its in my plans!  I think I need to start making lists of things for each 'bin' and for my hospital bag, so that I can actually get them done.  I just really dont want to start too much without knowing what I will get from my shower! 

JWatt5

Late to the game this week!!

How far along are you? 30 weeks 

Any appointments this week/last? How did it go? I have a regular appt this Thursday but we just had a quick trip to L&D for a NST - his movements went way down over the last 24 hours. After trying a few times to get kicks out of him - no luck. But all is well after getting checked - I may have tired him out with all the activity during our babymoon (we did a ton of walking) or had a growth spurt. Felt like a brat going in to get checked but after 24 hours I had enough abs wanted to make sure. 

Cravings? Icecream. 

Rants/Raves? We had a great babymoon this past weekend - so so needed, glad we did it! 
And while today was a little nerve wracking, it was kinda nice to hear his heartbeat for a full 20 mins  

Questions for FTM, STM+?

GTKY: If an actor or actress had to play you in a movie, who would it be??

hmmmmm...maybe Jennifer Lawrence 

littlebug2010

@JWatt5 Im glad your LO is doing fine in there! 

DeansGirl14

@jwatt5 I'm glad things are ok. The counting kicks concept freaks me out for exactly that reason- what if you stop feeling something? Good for you for getting checked out immediately. 

littlebug2010

@DeansGirl14 My OB said that as long as im feeling movement throughout the day, to not worry about counting.  IF I notice that I havent felt him move for a while, that is when I can count.  She told me to just go lay down somewhere, on my left side, and drink something cold (either ice water, or something with sugar).  She said it is totally normal to take up to an hour to feel the movements.  She then said that if I dont feel 10 in that hour, to walk around for about 30 minutes, and do the same, and if at that time I havent felt 10 movements, to call them.  
Her recommendation was to not kick count unless I dont feel things, becuase it can freak you out.  All I should do is take note of the times that I do usually feel him, and look for that every day.  

Feliciosity

@JWatt5 Glad all is well! When I had to go in to L&D a couple of weeks ago I liked listening to the heartbeat too.

JWatt5

@DeansGirl14 - my OB said the same as @littlebug2010  No need to kick count unless you think you haven't felt much/the usual. I wasn't feeling movement during the usual times and the couple times I tried the juice/lay down & count, it didn't work. But he sure was kicking when that monitor was on. I just couldn't feel it the same. She said they run out of room so the "normal" big kicks will go down as they grow (I didn't know that!). Now I know what to feel for - it's actually more like the early flutters

mrsvp614

 @secicc12 I will also be getting extra scans, due to high blood pressure. I'd rather not have to get them if it meant 

How far along are you?  27+6-- is this really the last day of my 2nd tri?

Any appointments this week/last? How did it go? 28 week appt & glucose screening tomorrow. 

Cravings? I've been LOVING fresh cherries. I also really want greek/mediterranean food.

Rants/Raves? Rant: Can I just be done with work already? All I can focus on is getting ready for baby, what I'm going to eat next, and how tired I feel.
Rave: DH and MIL bought me my glider for my birthday, and I love it! I sat it in yesterday and read a book to LO for the first time.

Questions for FTM, STM+? Hospital classes... completely necessary? We've looked at the schedule, and can't make most of them work with our schedule. I plan to do a breastfeeding class and maternity tour, but I don't know if we'll be able to work in the labor/delivery and baby care classes.

GTKY: If an actor or actress had to play you in a movie, who would it be?? Emma Stone. Some people have told me she reminds them of me... mostly the Superbad Emma Stone. Sarcastic redhead. I'll take it!

Kathryn0903

@MrsVP614 we just went through the baby care and childbirth classes. I thought we could have probably done without the baby care class, but I felt like I learned a ton in the childbirth class.

Mango517

How far along are you?
28 Weeks +

Any appointments this week/last? How did it go?
I had my centering group appointment last night. It's a helpful group appointment where you go to learn about baby subjects with a midwife and doula, and also have a quick check up with the midwife. Had to drink the glucose drink last night and thought it was super gross.

Cravings?
This wasn't a craving, but last night on whim I bought a lean cuisine for the first time in years. And I thought it was really tasty.

Rants/Raves?
Can I add in a random? I'm measuring perfectly on track with fundal height but talked to my midwife about potentially getting a size ultrasound in the future as a precaution. My sister had two almost 10lb babies with no GD and her first birth was very traumatic, so I'd like to be armed with size info to help me make an informed birth decision. Midwife seemed very understanding and said we'd visit that idea again in a few weeks just to be sure that I'm not hiding a giant baby.

Questions for FTM, STM+?
Is anyone hiring a doula? I'm starting to think about my birthing plans and with the way my husband handles medical stuff (not well at all) it's sounding like a better idea everyday if I try to go for a natural birth.

GTKY: If an actor or actress had to play you in a movie, who would it be??
Kathryn Hahn.

Feliciosity

MrsVP614 Our hospital only offers classes all day on Saturdays and DH works Saturdays. I expressed my concerns to my OB yesterday about that. She definitely advised the birthing class for FTM, but said that if we absolutely can't that the hospital also has a lot of reading materials on their site that can help and gave me the link for it. I don't know what resources you might have, but it might be worth looking into.

DeansGirl14

@mango517 people I know who did have a doula raved about them, so there's that. The only thing is the costs may not be covered by insurance. My friend who gave birth 2 months ago strongly recommended hers but cautioned it would be $600 out of pocket. I'm still mulling it over.