Week 3 Check In 11/26-12/2

meggyme

This check in is for ladies with due dates 3/17-3/23. Let me know if this is your first check in and I will add you.@zionsmama85 @3rdtime_charmed @gowenc @sydbom @Jlavo888 @lisee923 @lindseyb918 @beachbaby0523@meggyme @Runninggal28 @emarcinek99@omama19@heatherarbuck @karatepickles @mammabearcher 

 Due date: 

 Any appointments? 

Questions?: 

 Rants/Raves?: 

 How are you feeling?: 

 GTKY: Who is the most difficult person for you to get a gift for?

zionsmama85

 Due date: 3/17 

 Any appointments? re-doing the anatomy scan on 11/29, and my doctor asked me to go ahead and get my Gestational Diabetes test done this week too, so i will probably do that the same day or around then 

Questions?: none so far 

 Rants/Raves?:  minor rant, saturday my SO told me i have the softest stomach of a pregnant person he has ever felt...i go "well babe, i did have a stomach before i got pregnant, so i'm assuming thats still there, on top of the baby"...last week he told me my stomach was too hard....smh. men LOL. ..I guess the rave for the week would be baby girl. she moves constantly and its nice to feel her so much. will be nice when others can feel her on the outside, but i will enjoy the private time while it lasts...

 How are you feeling?: feeling pretty good today. my appetite is ramping up and i'm starting to be hungry like every 20-45 mins after i eat. I have prided myself on not gaining a lot of weight, so hopefully it doesn't get out of control

 GTKY: Who is the most difficult person for you to get a gift for? My SO. he's an odd duck. He doesn't really like sports, video games, electronics, etc....none of the normal guy stuff....so it makes it difficult. He doesn't have many hobbies either. His birthday and Christmas are always super fun. 

meggyme

@zionsmama85 good luck with the repeat AS and glucose test!
Due date: 3/20

 Any appointments? Hospital Tour tonight and Check up Friday

Questions?: Which appointment is the glucose test normally? I have my 24 week appt Friday afternoon and want to make sure I don't have to fast all day. Last time I failed the 1 hr and had to do the 3 hr.

 Rants/Raves?: Had a rough day with DH/DD Saturday. Everyone got on my nerves, DH wasn't helpful at all because he felt nothing he did was right, so he did nothing. Which only made me more angry with him. Yesterday was better though.

 How are you feeling?: Ok. Lots of baby kicks, but I'm surprised by how few of them DH can feel from the outside.

 GTKY: Who is the most difficult person for you to get a gift for? MH is also difficult to shop for. He doesn't really have any hobbies but likes fashion and has very expensive taste. He also just buys what he wants for himself so by the time Christmas comes around, there's nothing left to buy and certainly not at a reasonable price that I'm comfortable telling anyone else that is shopping for him.

zionsmama85

@meggyme thanks! my doctor told me specifically i didn't have to fast, but i would probably check with your office and see what they think bc i did see a lot of the instructions say to fast. (i am 24 weeks this week too, so he told me to go ahead and do it now so the results will be in by the next appt)... i don't remember doing it the first time around either. My office may not make you fast unless you fail the 1 hr. 

lelkcot

*lurking*
@meggyme my office typically does the glucose test at the 28 week appointment. I also failed my 1 hour last time, so I’m planning to fast before it this time around in hopes it saves me from having to do the 3 hour (because that thing is crazy inconvenient)! My office dose not tell you to fast prior to the 1 hour, though.

meggyme

@lelkcot I fasted before both tests last time. A friend of mine just had hers a few months ago and her OB said to eat some plain eggs before and nothing else. Maybe to get some pure protein in your system? Idk. I thought it was 28 weeks, but I didn't want to be surprised on Friday.

beachbaby0523

@meggyme I’ve read/heard that the glucose test is usually done between weeks 24-28, but my OB said at my last appt (22w3d) that she wants me to go to the lab and get it done as close to 24 weeks as possible. (The lab is down the street from my OB’s clinic so she just ordered the test in advance and I can go at my convenience, within the timeframe instructed.)  Like mentioned, my doc doesn’t require fasting, but said to focus on high protein foods and veggies the night before and morning of (avoid sugars and carbs). My plan is to eat an egg white and veggie scramble on Friday evening for dinner (24w6) with a protein shake (I’ll mix this with unsweetened almond milk - https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B072BS9XKZ/ref=mp_s_a_1_9_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1543273306&sr=8-9&keywords=julian+bakery+protein+powder&dpPl=1&dpID=41HjS2r5JKL&ref=plSrch ) and perhaps another protein shake the morning of, if necessary. My goal is to get to the lab when it opens at 7 a.m. so I can power thru the test and eat right after. 

meggyme

So we had our hospital tour last night. It was extremely informal and a little disorganized, which surprised me. I guess comparing it to the much larger and more specific woman's hospital I had DD at in San Diego isn't quite fair. It's a much older hospital as well. But the rooms were HUGE and had everything I would likely need, so I'm happy about that. No restrictions on kid visitors, other than don't bring them when they're sick. It sounds like I'd likely be triaged in the same room I'd deliver in, which is nice before being transferred to a mother/baby recovery room. They also said STM's can request 24 hour discharge if they are GBS neg, so here's hoping I'm negative this time and can go home early.

We went with my friend who is due in late December, so hopefully she can give me the real lowdown before I end up there in March.

gowenc

Due date: March 17

Any appointments? 24 week check up with the midwives on Thursday. They didn't mention that they'd be doing the glucose test but I'm going to cal them to see if they want to do it this appointment or wait until 28 weeks, just so I know if I need to fast or monitor what I'm eating at all.

Questions?: I might have an opportunity to move to Berlin for work, in January. It's a bit of a long story, but I was selected to go for a 4-month assignment earlier this year (before I got pregnant) but then the project's funding was frozen. It's finally been unfrozen, and now instead of a short-term post they're looking for someone to go long-term (in this case, probably a year or two). MH and I have talked about moving overseas...but would it be crazy to try an international move at 30 weeks pregnant? It's a really,really good opportunity for career development that doesn't come along very often in my field - usually posts like this are in places I wouldn't be comfortable taking small kids. So I guess that's my question - have I completely lost my mind by exploring this?

Rants/Raves?: It's been a solid few weeks with no nausea. I think (knock on wood) that it's finally past. Of course since I can now eat pretty much anything I'm starting to gain weight pretty fast...

How are you feeling?: Not bad, just a little tired. It's getting harder to get around and my abs are starting to feel strained.

GTKY: Who is the most difficult person for you to get a gift for? My sister. She's very picky.

karatepickles

 Due date: March 21

 Any appointments? Thursday to check status on placenta placement. At my AS, I was diagnosed with placenta previa. So, we'll find out if it has moved or not. 

Questions?: None. I appreciate everyone's input about the glucose test.

 Rants/Raves?: Rave: Baby is very active, which is reassuring but also kind of surprising to me as a FTM. Rant-ish: I need to get on the ball with getting the nursery essentials. 

 How are you feeling?: Feeling pretty good overall. I've had a good appetite but I haven't really craved anything in particular. Hip pain during the night comes and goes. 

 GTKY: Who is the most difficult person for you to get a gift for? I agree with @zionsmama85 and @meggyme MH. Like @meggyme, he just buys what he wants so it is difficult to find presents for him. His birthday is also in December so it is a double difficult gift-giving month! 

karatepickles

@gowenc that's so great that you could move to Berlin. You should do it if it works for you and your partner. I would love to live abroad even for a short period. 

zionsmama85

@gowenc i think you should go for it! any chance to have a new experience is something you should take advantage of. Based on my limited experience with House Hunters International (LOL), i have heard that Berlin is a beautiful place and pretty family friendly. 

meggyme

@gowenc if you’re comfortable giving birth overseas I say go for it! It would be a great opportunity and better to do it before you have to worry about things like schools for the kids.

3rdtime_charmed

@meggyme I’m sorry your tour was so disappointing especially since you were so prepared. It’s a bummer to feel more put together than the professionals.

meggyme

I just want to add that most of us should be turning 24 weeks this week and that means VIABILITY!

gowenc

I talked to the project director about the position in Germany and she encouraged me to apply - said that if I was the best candidate maternity leave would not be an obstacle, even though there's only a year and a half left off the project. Talked it over with my husband last night and he said to go ahead and apply. There are a lot of logistical things to consider and he has to decide if he's willing to leave my stepson here (obviously he'd come visit for long periods over summer and holidays), but that we'd cross that bridge once I hear if I get the position or not. I did put in a request for a meeting with our HR team to see what maternity benefits would transfer over - I would normally get 6-8 weeks of short term disability and 4 weeks paid leave, and I want to make sure whatever is available to me in Germany is comparable. Hopefully they respond soon, I have to apply by tomorrow!

meggyme

@gowenc I'm so excited for you! If you can't get a meeting with HR in time, I'd apply anyway. If you find that somehow your benefits are worse or it's not a right fit for your family and stepson you can always decline the position later or rescind your application, right?

gowenc

@meggyme yep, we’ll have to crunch the numbers to see what makes sense if I end up getting it.

heatherarbuck

This is my first check-in in a while! 

 Due date: March 20 (changed from March 23 after AS)

 Any appointments? Just had a regular check-up this morning. 

Questions?: Anyone dealing with PUPPS, specifically in the chest/breasts area? 

 Rants/Raves?: Well the reason I've been MIA is because my life has kind of gone to shit in the last few weeks. My husband of just over a year is leaving me and he started an affair with another woman last month. We're still living together until the end of my pregnancy when I plan to move in with my parents for the duration of my maternity leave (18 months in Canada). This really came out of the blue for me and everyone who knows him, so it's been quite a trip trying to deal with it all. 

 How are you feeling?: Physically, I developed PUPPS on my breasts in the last few days, so very itchy!! My doctor prescribed some cream to help with that this morning, so hopefully I will be getting some relief! Mentally and emotionally, trying to stay as positive as possible. There are some very dark/sad moment, but I'm just always trying to look on the bright side of things - this baby is still coming!

 GTKY: Who is the most difficult person for you to get a gift for? Definitely my dad. He has everything!

meggyme

@heatherarbuck I am so sorry that you've been dealing with that! Do you have a good local support system to lean on during this crazy time of transition? I'm sure that living with your husband right now is not an easy thing to do.

zionsmama85

@heatherarbuck that SUCKS! I am so sorry to hear that. I had to deal with a similar situation in my first pregnancy. My son’s father up and married someone he was seeing also that I wasn’t aware of and then joined the army and moved to go to basic training. It was hard, but the baby definitely gives you something positive to focus on. We may not be local but we are here for support too. ❤️

Runninggal28

@gowenc that sounds like a great opportunity!  I actually gave birth to my first son in Sydney. We eventually moved back to the US.  The only thing I would suggest looking into is maternity coverage. Even though we had private insurance, I wasn’t covered for maternity until we lived there for a year so make sure you are fully covered before you leave!  Otherwise it sounds like an awesome opportunity!