3rd Trimester Check In w/o August 27th

wildrainbow

Thought I would get it started this week. 

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Congrats to all our Mamas that had babies last week! We had quite the boom!

This is a weekly check in for the mamas who have made it to the 3rd trimester!!! If you are in week 28 or past, feel free to join in on the weekly fun. 

• How far along? EDD?
• How is everyone feeling this week? 
• Any upcoming appointments? 
• GTKY:  How do you feel about your pregnancy as a whole? Was it everythi,g you thought? More? Less?
• As always feel free to share pictures of your bump, nurseries, baby gear, and of course those babies when they arrive!

If you're just joining us please post a: 

• Mini synopsis in your first post with your EDD
• How many babies you are pregnant with
• If you know the gender(s)
• How you have been feeling in your 3rd tri
• Any upcoming or recent appointments you may have

Please let us know if you need to be added to the list below:
@sarcasticowl EDD 8/23 with a little girl
@lablover78 EDD 9/1 with a little boy
@gfgrump EDD 9/6 with a little boy
@sarzee2 EDD 9/10 (inducing early 9/4 or 9/5) team green 
@BusinessWife EDD 9/9 team green
@adirat EDD 9/15 with a little boy
@chicandbubbly EDD 10/1 with a little girl
@halfanewt EDD 10/3 team green
@klyn7 EDD 10/6/18 team green
@Dragonfly6191 EDD 10/12 b/g twins!
@wildrainbow EDD 11/11 Eviction Date 10/22 for this little boy!

Edit: Formatting. 

wildrainbow

• How far along? EDD? 29+1 Nov 11th, but I won't go past 37 weeks, so 10/22

• How is everyone feeling this week? I'm pretty miserable. Saturday was an awful day full of hard contractions that were coming on top of each other. I almost went to L&D, luckily they finally slowed down. He's so low, I feel like my vagina is going to fall out. 

• Any upcoming appointments? I have a monitoring appt Wednesday and a BPP. They will check my cervical length via u/s as well. Hopefully, I won't be put on bed rest with all these contractions. 

• GTKY:  How do you feel about your pregnancy as a whole? Was it everythi,g you thought? More? Less? I was super shocked when we initially found out, we were getting ready to start all the labs for treatments again as we had been trying for over a year. I didn't expect it to be this hard on my body this time around. Maybe it's because I have a 2 yo at home too? I'm very ready to meet him and so happy that ds will get a sibling when I never thought it possible. 

Dragonfly6191

• How far along? EDD? 33 + 1; Planning for delivery week of Sept 17th due to IUGR
• How is everyone feeling this week? I'm just pretty much uncomfortable all over! I've had lots of issue with low back/hip spasms, and a continuing issue with my back right upper back hurting due to babies putting pressure on my ribs from the front. Add in some bad heartburn and ALL the limbs that are kicking me and I feel like I'm running on fumes
• Any upcoming appointments? I'm being scanned twice weekly now- BPP's at each, and Growth on Thursdays. Both babies passed the BPP's with flying colors today, but nervous about the growth scan on Thursday.
• GTKY:  How do you feel about your pregnancy as a whole? Was it everything you thought? More? Less? Overall I'm pretty proud of my body. I think with IF there was always this inner like "am I not supposed to do this" kind of worry and with all the medical issues I've had my whole life I was really worried pregnancy would not go well for me. The fact that I'm still more or less on my feet (and still pregnant) at 33 week is amazing to me! I certainly wouldn't call any of this easy, but I'm grateful it wasn't much worse!

lablover78

Hi, well I thought I was 39+2, but I guess my OB has me at 39+5? Anyway he said he’d feel better if I had the baby and I’m honestly ready. I’m AMA petite and gained 47lbs basically all in my belly- sooooo he sent me to the hospital for Cervidil but they are supposed to release me when it’s done and then see if in the morning with possible induction Wednesday if it worked. I was not really expecting this but s*%* is getting real! 

I’ve been really lucky throughout the entire pregnancy- I was expecting the worst so that might’ve helped.

Is it just me or did we lose @sarcasticowl along the way? I feel like we haven’t heard from her in weeks but maybe it’s just my pg brain. 

[Deleted User]

<ul><li>How far along? EDD? 38+1</li><li>How is everyone feeling this week? </li></ul>Glad that it seems the chiro has been helping with the aches and pains, hips, pelvis, etc. But I'm feeling pretty tired, and really didn't feel great this morning.  Still so much to do, and so little energy.
<ul><li>Any upcoming appointments? </li></ul>38w growth scan tomorrow.  Not thrilled about it, since really everything is fine.  I personally have absolutely no reason to think that baby is going to be, "too big," to deliver vaginally, but that's the only reason we're getting this scan.  Bc BMI?  Really?

GTKY:  How do you feel about your pregnancy as a whole? Was it everything you thought? More? Less?

It's been pretty wonderful, certain symptoms aside.  I was surprised how tough the 3rd tri started out, although I'm sure I shouldn't have been!  Lol. But at least I have been able to get some relief, and still somehow miraculously at work... taking that part a day at a time.


@lablover78  omg!  You're on your way to meeting baby!!!!  :D. Fx for good progress in the next few days... (((hugs)))

@wildrainbow. Thanks for getting this started!  I'm sorry youre having such a rough time.  Hope your contractions settle down... 

@Dragonfly6191 You are doing such a great job, mama!  The 17th is coming up right around the corner... I hear you about running on fumes, tho.  #thirdtrilife

halfanewt

• How far along? EDD? 34+5
• How is everyone feeling this week? Still feeling pretty good, though baby keeps kicking my ribs. Apparently I’m running out of room! Back to school meetings started today, and all the sitting will probably get me by the end of the week. Ugh. 

• Any upcoming appointments? Regular check Thursday 
• GTKY:  How do you feel about your pregnancy as a whole? Was it everything you thought? More? Less? Overall, I feel fortunate that it’s gone pretty smoothly so far. I definitely had (and still have) all the “but what ifs..” that seem to go along with IF. I’m very glad to be able to experience this, and am not at all opposed to doing it again! 

@lablover78 exciting week for you! Sending good thoughts your way! 

@BusinessWife BMI is such a bogus number. Sorry they’re making you jump through hoops based on that. Will you at least get to see baby during the scan? 

@wildrainbow hope you got the contractions under control! 

[Deleted User]

@halfanewt. Oh, for sure!  That's the silver lining... hoping for a nice profile / face shot.  But at this point we're so close!  I could just as well wait to see baby when we meet on the outside... fx DH is able to make it, tho. At least going with him and seeing baby does make it more fun. ;)

gfgrump

How far along? EDD?
38+4, Sept 6.  Eek, I can't believe I'm the 3rd from the top.
How is everyone feeling this week? 
I feel like crap.  It really just hit me on friday. I've got tailbone pain, contractions that keep happening, a weird shooting pain that keeps coming and going on the left side of my belly, my boobs hurts, heartburn keeps happening, my vagina feels engorged, I could go on.  Baby is moving fine and there's been no discharge, no blood, so pretty sure everything is just normal and I'm not in labor. But I keep thinking I am. 
Any upcoming appointments? 
OB appt tues, NST wed, Chiro thurs, acu fri! What a week.
GTKY:  How do you feel about your pregnancy as a whole? Was it everythi,g you thought? More? Less?
As always feel free to share pictures of your bump, nurseries, baby gear, and of course those babies when they arrive!
I feel very lucky about this whole pregnancy. It's really been uncomplicated (knock on wood) so far and I wasn't too uncomfortable.  These last few weeks are kicking my butt and it doesn't help that I'm back to work after being off all summer. But Friday is my last day and who knows, maybe this baby is coming soon?

@lablover78 sending you lots of positive vibes and hope everything works out well. So soon!
@BusinessWife sorry they are still pulling this business about the BMI, seems dumb and perhaps not fully grounded in research?
@halfanewt good luck with all the sitting.  
@laurad75 thinking of you and hoping everything worked out well and that you're just too busy to post. Been checking for your updates regularly.
I did look through for @sarcasticowl and I think you're right, we haven't heard from her in a few weeks. Hoping everything is okay.

lablover78

These last few weeks seem to kick everyone’s butt! Hope everyone is able to get some relief. For heartburn I switched from Tums to Pepcid AC per my OB and it did help for a few days.

GL at your scan @BusinessWife! 

Yes @laurad75- @gfgrump you just reminded me that we haven’t seen an update yet. I hope all is well.

2MomsHoping

@lablover78 best wishes for a safe and easy delivery. 

chicandbubbly

@lablover78 wishing you a good delivery- how exciting!! 

• How far along- 35 weeks, due Oct 1st
• How is everyone feeling this week? Feeling good- a little uncomfortable but hanging in there!! I have been nesting like crazy the last few days! And I’m super excited that my Sprinkle baby shower is coming up on Thursday! I also won a free maternity shoot from a new photographer trying to build a portfolio and that’s tomorrow!! 
• Any upcoming appointments? No appts until September! I can’t believe I’m almost a month away from my due date!! 
• GTKY:  How do you feel about your pregnancy as a whole? Was it everythi,g you thought? More? Less? This pregnancy has been way easier, less stressful then my first! I love being pregnant but I am also to the point where I’m beyond excited for my babe to arrive and can’t wait for her to be here! It’s gone by really fast too since I’m chasing around my 18 mo old and no time to really think about being pregnant!!!

wildrainbow

@lablover78 Praying for a safe and smooth delivery!

@chicandbubbly A free maternity shoot? That is super exciting!

lablover78

Ugh! The Cervidil did nothing- In fact the RN said she would even call me 1 cm. Not really sure how to feel about this....waiting to see my OB now

mbradfo2

I sense another baby boom around the corner! Good luck ladies

I got cervidil in the hospital and it didn't do a thing for me either   I also remember it being incredibly uncomfortable, but I was also on mag which makes you feel sick anyway.
They were going to try another 12 hours on it or go to pitocin if I wanted to continue the induction but I said, nope! C-section for me!

[Deleted User]

I'm sorry @lablover78. Hope things start to get moving for you... 

wildrainbow

Im sorry @lablover78. I hope things get going for you soon. 

I had an appt today. I have been leaking so they checked to see if it was amniotiC fluid. Luckily, it wasn't. Unfortunately, my body is going downhill quickly. I had to redo all labs to check my liver enzymes and bile salts to see if ICP is getting worse. I'm on weekly monitoring/BPPs, in case we have to deliver early. Luckily, Babe is measuring a week ahead and weighs a whopping 3lbs9oz! I will take it, because the bigger he is, the better his chances are on the outside. Right now, im hoping to make it to 32 weeks, then go from there. My dr did say to go ahead and pack a bag, so I'm doing that tonight. Hopefully I can make it further, but I will take what I can get at this point. 

Holls214

@wildrainbow *lurking* did they give you a steroid shot for the lung production in case you go early? I was hospitalized around 32/33 weeks and ended up getting one to be on the safe side and I was happy I did. I got induced at 37 weeks. They said it’s not harmful to get one just to be on the safe side. 

wildrainbow

@Holls214 Not yet, I will get one if my labs creep up or I need to be admitted. I had 2 sets of steroid shots with my ds, one at 27 weeks and another at 32 weeks. So far, Im home and just having to take it easy. Hopefully, that trend will continue and I won't need to be admitted. Hopefully. 

[Deleted User]

Oh gosh @wildrainbow  im sorry it wasn't a better apt.  I hope you can rest up and take care. ❤ Fx squish gets to keep cooking as long as possible... (((hugs)))

<b>Update</b>: Today's 38w scan went mostly okay! They want to do another one at 40 weeks, and they said that after crunching all these numbers there is an "intermediate risk" for shoulder dystoscia. Not that the formula means all that much definitively, but whatever. So I signed a consent that I still want to attempt a vaginal delivery and we will meet with the last of the doctors that I haven't met yet next week.

Baby is measuring at 8 lb 6 oz in the 88th percentile, so sounds pretty good to me!

***induction talk***

<div class=" Spoiler">She also told me to start taking EPO this week, that they won't check my cervix till 40 weeks, and they would probably start induction medications at 41w. :/ </div>

gfgrump

@wildrainbow sorry about the crappy news at your appt.I'm really hoping the baby can stay in as long as possible. Sending you positive vibes. At least you are close to 30 weeks, bc apparently that is a good benchmark.  
Sounds pretty good @BusinessWife.  41 weeks for induction isn't terrible.

I also had a regular OB appt today. Everything was fine. My fundal measurement slowed down a little, but was 37 and doc said she wasn't worried. I was confused bc it's been ahead the whole time but she said it also could be bc the baby has dropped.  She also told me we'd be looking at induction between 41 and 42 weeks, so that clarified bc last time I thought she meant we would induce at 41 so I was using the 13th as my end date. But it's really sometime after that.  She offered a membrane sweep but I thought, nah, I'm still only 38+5 and it probably isn't that pleasant of an experience to have happen.  Figure I'll give it another week or so before we try that. She offered to check my cervix too and I was also like, nah, bc I decided I didn't want to get my hopes up if it's open and be disappointed when it's likely not. 

lablover78

Thanks ladies! Sorry @wildrainbow sorry you are facing the decline in health but glad you are being positive and have a plan. 

@BusinessWife sending positive thoughts! 

@gfgrump I wish I could channel your energy 

OB is going to do pitocin Thursday morning but only give me 4-6 hrs and I haven’t started progressing just move to a c-section. @mbradfo2 thanks for your comment, it actually made me feel a lot better!! Judging on how my body is acting I am fully expecting to NOT progress. Time to research c-section recovery!

wildrainbow

@lablover78 I had a c section with ds. The next day I was up walking around and taking a shower. Ds was born the night before. Recovery wasn't that bad. The best thing I can say is get up and move as much as possible. It sucks, but it helps. Also, listen to your body. Do. Not. Try. To. Be. Superwoman. You will tire out hard core, so just listen to your body and do what it demands. I was on ibprofren by my third day PP. Feel free to ask all the questions, I will give you the good, the bad, and the ugly. You got this, tho. FX you get some dilation with the pit.

mbradfo2

@lablover78
My c-section was great -- I was up and on my feet the next day (with some pain, of course, but nothing horrible). @wildrainbow is correct that you need to get moving even if it's uncomfortable. They'll let you hold baby but you are a little limited in what you can do for the first day or so -- my husband was in charge of most of the changings and swaddling at first. I was pretty much back to normal in a week or so with no pain. I also tried to limit my use of pain medicines to only when I really felt I needed them -- I took some tylenol/ibuprofen every so often in the hospital and I did take the occasional oxycodone they gave me if I was really uncomfortable and just wanted to rest. I wasn't bf'ing though (separate decision based on meds I needed to be able to take pp), so I don't know if they offer the stronger painkillers to bf'ing women if that's what you are doing. 

I always remember what my night nurse told me before the c-section when we were still trying progress -- "Don't be afraid to say when you've had enough. This is your baby and your birth." She was really awesome overall, very reassuring to a FTM. She had 6 deliveries (I think 2 were as surrogate) and was really helpful and understanding. 

lablover78

Thank you both ❤️❤️ I needed to hear both of those stories.

Dragonfly6191

Me too! Thanks @wildrainbow and @mbradfo2

persnickity

@lablover78 I had a c-section too. I was up and shuffling around the room the next day. Like @wildrainbow said, do not be Superwoman. Do not feel like you have to do everything. Do not feel like you shouldn't be on pain meds if you need them. I had to work up to being able to walk like i had been prior to delivery. I wasn't in pain, just physically got worn quickly. 

sarzee2

Hi All!
@lablover78 hope you're starting to progress! Induction talk for me below...

38+3, tomorrow is my last day of work and I'm being induced 9/4 at 9 AM! Tomorrow is my last appointment with the OB before the holiday weekend.

Physically I'm super uncomfortable with back pain and the heat index in the city has been over 100 degrees every day this week. It just makes the commute so awful...getting to the subway, the awful subway platforms and sometimes the AC on the trains isn't working. When I got to work today my hair, dress and underwear were all damp. Luckily I only have a few more subway rides left to go!

GTKY: How do you feel about your pregnancy as a whole? Was it everything you thought? More? Less?
I feel really fortunate that I had an easy pregnancy physically, so I guess it's more than I thought it would be! Emotionally is really what has been the roughest. I've always been a very anxious person and I've dealt with depression from a young age. I think I was so focused on my infertility that I thought getting pregnant would fix things and it definitely hasn't. Even as recently as yesterday I was having a really difficult time and thinking that it would be better for everyone if I just left after the baby is here and let my husband/MIL raise it. I know that's silly, but when I have negative thoughts I tend to spiral out of control. 

A lot of my recent anxiety has stemmed from everyone trying to scare me about being induced and saying I'll end up with an emergency c-section and how that's the worst experience ever, death, doom, destruction, etc. I try to focus on positive induction and c-section stories and getting reassurance from my doctor, but it's hard to be positive when you're already so hormonal and emotional! I'm hoping that I'm able to relax this weekend and hopefully not talk to anyone who is going to stress me out more!

gfgrump

@sarzee2 sorry the anxiety is rearing it's ugly head. One thing my doula told me is to only listen to positive stories. So if someone starts launching into something negative, you are supposed to stop them and say, no thanks, I'm only listening to positive stories right now.  Trying to focus on the positive. It has helped me a little.

lablover78

Hi ladies,

@sarzee2 there is actually a recent study that has been published that both my MFM and Perinatologist mentioned about inducing around 39 weeks being a more favorable option than allowing mom to go naturally. I felt the same hesitation due to negative stories but I’m in the thick of it and so far so good. Also my OB clarified that if my induction failed and we moved to a c-section that is not an emergency. It’s only if there is actually something happening to make it an emergency. So as I said Cervidil on Monday did nothing. They started pitocin this morning and I was barely a 1cm but he still tried to break my water, didn’t think it was successful. 4 hrs later my water had broken and I’m at 3cm, contractions are 2-3 minutes apart so we are just hanging out seeing what happens. I was so nervous but I am feeling much better now- sometimes our bodies just need some help. Hugs and try to trust your OB’s experience. 

gfgrump

Sounds promising @lablover78. Thinking of you!

mbradfo2

A c/section is only an emergency if it's urgent -- like baby in distress or something! Failure to progress is a pretty common reason to end up with a -scheduled- c-section. After I had gone through the first (and failed) attempt to get me started laboring and I asked for a c-section rather than continue, my OB actually gave me a scheduled time! He visited my room at 6 am when we talked about doing the c-section and then said that he would do it at 8:00 that morning. I actually had a ton of time to get really anxious -- (for the record, I got so anxious I thought I was going to throw up and the nurse had to give me anti-nausea/vomiting medicine!). That's how most failure to progress or induction-related c-sections are -- they just pencil you in for the next time slot in the OR or whatever suite they use for the c-sections. And c-sections really aren't horrible; it's just another kind of birth that we have the option of selecting now rather than risk ourselves and our babies. The process and recovery is a bit different but the end result is the same -- you are holding your baby!

I got extremely anxious in my third trimester - not really about birth per se but about all the things that could go wrong with the pregnancy...it just seemed alot more acute than I felt in the 1st or 2nd trimester since I was soooo close to the finish line. You can read my post history to see my nerves! In the end, I did have a complication, but it was handled by the OB's and MFM's and all went well -- and I had a really positive experience with the nurses and my OB during the whole time leading up to her birth and afterwards. 

persnickity

@sarzee2 I had an induction that led to a c-section. It was an absolutely wonderful experience. My OB and doula worked together to help me understand all of my options and make the entire experience feel like a natural progression. I never felt rushed or forced into anything. They even asked me what music to play in the OR while my daughter was being born. An induction ending in a c-section can be just as beautiful.

sarzee2

@gfgrump you're 100% right, I need to learn to just say "NO, I don't need to hear this story, I'm sorry!" There's nothing wrong with that!

@lablover78 thanks for your response, that makes me feel a lot better! I hope everything has gone smoothly and you're relaxing with baby!

@mbradfo2 same, I have been much more anxious recently, especially the last 6 weeks or so! 

@persnickity thanks for your response, I spoke to my OB about it twice this week and I'm feeling a lot better that she not only understands what I want/need, but also that I won't be forced into anything like all these people seem to like implying happened to them during their labor experiences lol

I'm now officially on maternity leave and just waiting for the 4th!

[Deleted User]

@sarzee2. Congratulations on starting your leave!  Ah!  How exciting

lablover78

Hi ladies... well right on topic I ended up with a c-section after failure to progress and just like @mbradfo2 my OB said - do you want to do it at 5pm? For the next hour i was extremely anxious. I had waited to get the epidural so I ended up doing a spinal block and as soon as I was lying in the OR unable to move I started to have a panic attack and told the doc I was feeling nauseous but he gave me something immediately and started asking me questions to distract me. My husband came in and rubbed my head and by 5:20pm Samuel was born! What an amazing experience & completely worth every second. For the ladies worried about how it’s going to go if their labor is similar I cannot stress enough that it will all be ok and sounds worse than it is. Pics in the spoiler- warning there’s a birth pic so don’t look if you don’t want to see the bloody OR

Actually having trouble with the pics will post those in a separate post.

[Deleted User]

@lablover78. Welcome baby!!!!!  Glad it wasn't too bad an experience afterall, and you are all snuggling in nicely together! ❤❤❤

wildrainbow

@lablover78 Congrats! I'm glad things went smoothly, even tho things didn't go according to plan. Hoping for a smooth recovery. 

halfanewt

@lablover78 congrats! Glad you ended up having a good experience in the end hope you’re enjoying all the baby snuggles!! 

hottietoddy

Congrats @lablover78!!!! So happy for you, I also felt panicked when numb and distraction was good. Take care of yourself in recovery so glad baby boy is here!!!    <3v

hottietoddy

Yes to mirror other comments- I think the terms 'failed' induction or ''emergency' c section are tossed around sometimes. Basically sometimes the induction just doesn't move fast enough and for me I wasn't dialating. Then you can make the decision to have a C-section instead before the baby has any trouble tolerating the drugs or long labor, additional issues, etc.  My C-section was a great experience- I slept the first half 15-30 mins and then we just hung out with our baby on my chest the second half.  They gave me laughing gas during which I think helped me relax a lot and doesn't go to the baby.  Recovery is tough because it hurts, but it gets better every day. Mostly I didn't like the stress of the hospital with all the people and pressure.  

So update:. I actually had to be re-hospitalized 2 days after coming home with baby.  I had a heart arythmia where my heart rate went up to 180 and got stuck. My lungs couldn't keep up so I was panting and having short breaths.  We went to ER and they gave me something that stopped and restarted my heart. It is actually pretty routine, but was scary and hurt my chest for about 10 seconds. Nothing like labor though haha. Then I had to stay on cardiac floor of hospital for a day and night for monitoring. They did ekg, CT scan and eco-cardiogram and all came back fine. They did help me see that I was having extreme anxiety and put me back on Zoloft and lorazepam then I finally started sleeping. I believe I'd gone into a manic state after birth. Our hospital didnt offer nursery help during the day and we we're forced to have my mom come watch the baby in room the day after a late night c-section.  It was BS.  The manic thing runs in my family and I'm going to psychiatrist on Weds to discuss more. Anyway, I'm sleeping now and back home and all is well. I'm working on stopping breast milk flow as I'd rather not give meds to baby in milk. Pediatrician said it's ok but I suffered so long in pregnancy without my zoloft to make sure he is perfect, I don't want to jeopardize his health at all at this point. And he's doing great on formula.  I got to breast feed and bottle feed some breastmilk for the first week and it was nice, but the pumping just takes my time away from William and I'd rather spend that time snuggling and being with him. 

lablover78

I forgot to mention that he was 8 lb, 12 oz & 22 inches long. I was 100lb when I got pregnant, I just have a really small frame. I still can’t beleive I had a baby that big! 

Excited for the next baby boom! I will be checking up on you ladies ❤️