All trimester check-in, week of January 20th!

PoeMasque

Happy Monday! This will be my last week posting before baby arrives (eep!), so someone else will have to take over next time

• How far along/EDD?
• How are you feeling this week?
• Rants/Raves? Questions?
• Any upcoming appointments?
• GTKY: what is one personal item you just can’t live without? 

Also! Feel free to post pics of nurseries and bumps.

Calling!!

@PoeMasque EDD 2/8 (boy)

@emmasemm EDD 3/7 (girl)

@cigaline EDD 2/10 (boy)

@celticknotfire EDD 2/27

@ivfsurvivor EDD 3/3

@love112314 EDD 3/9

@sincethelastday EDD 3/9 (boy)

@bluguitarhannah EDD 7/1 (girl)

@caitiemae EDD 1/30 (boy)

@akak23 EDD 3/27 (boy)

@wifeinraleigh28 EDD 4/4 (boy)

@sanpelligrino EDD 4/12

@laurajon2015 EDD 3/25

@jolo1241 EDD 2/2 (girl)

@hanshotfirst77 EDD 6/21 (girl)

@knockupthestock EDD 7/23

@cirrra EDD 8/4

@wildrainbow EDD 8/16

@angelina1919 EDD 7/29

@cashewchicken EDD 8/8

@businesswife EDD 8/21

@31magnolia EDD 9/8

emmasemm

@PoeMasque thanks so much for starting this thread each week for so long! And I can’t believe this is your last “inside” post week!!!

Thanks to all of you who gave input on the no opiates after c section question. I’m feeling renewed confidence that this the best course for me to start out with. The midwife today also said they could start with IV ibuprofen instead and it’s no so uncommon here, so I’m well armed from you and her for my final prep meeting with the anesthesiologist in a few weeks time. 

How far along/EDD? 33+2 7th March (but will be evicted in Feb)
How are you feeling this week? Doing anything for more than ten minutes is uncomfortable- be that walking, sitting or laying down but being short in the torso with a chunky monkey growing inside sitting upright I guess it’s to be expected. The reflux and nausea in the evening are daily visitors but manageable. Biggest issue is my left hip/leg where I had my previous injury and surgeries - all the loosening ligaments are causing a lot of pain in the sites of scar tissue. Overall can’t complain though as everyone says I still look radiant and as I’m not working now I can sleep every day.
Rants/Raves? Questions? Rant - we lost they key to our wintergarden doors and spent half of Sunday trying to find it. It’s not really a key but this special device and there is no spare. I think it’s either got thrown away with some xmas stuff or it’s hiding at the bottom of a bag or box in the cellar. I went through the obvious ones but no sign.Rave - we managed to find a rug and a chair for the nursery in Saturday which means almost all the big things are ticked off the purchase list. And two friends decided they aren’t having more kids and so I’m going to both their houses this week to see if there is anything we still need. Most of my shopping focus now will be on clothes as we only have 3 outfits in newborn size and none of the basics even. I’ve been wanting to wait to see how big she is likely to be - could be she won’t be in newborn long even if she is a few weeks early - but on the other hand I know weight estimates can be very wrong...  
Any upcoming appointments? Had a midwife visit this morning. All good from her perspective - we are doing the right things, have the right plans in place and just said keep going. 
GTKY: what is one personal item you just can’t live without? As much as I hate to say it I would have to say my phone. The amount of phone numbers and email addresses I have on there for people, getting emails on it, making amazon orders on it, whatsapp to keep in touch with family and friends who live far far away... and where I keep all my to do lists (well in an app I access from it when out and about) not to mention google maps which I definitely couldn’t manage without these days! 

sincethelastday

@PoeMasque - will be thinking of you on Wednesday!! How exciting that you know you’ll be meeting your little one in just a couple of days!! 

@emmasemm - glad to hear you feel confident with the medication plan for your c-section! Having more of a plan can definitely help with feeling more in control. Hope you end up finding those keys, but great to hear that you can hopefully get some free baby stuff from your friends! I only have a few newborn sized clothing as well as I don’t want to buy a lot since I know babies can grow out of those really quickly. However, we have no diapers in the house, so really need to start stocking up on those lol. 

• How far along/EDD? 33w 3/9
• How are you feeling this week? Feeling better than last week. Still sore in the pelvic region during the latter parts of the day, but the discomfort hasn’t been as strong as it was last week. Also feeling a little less anxious while waiting for DH to get an ultrasound of his throat to check on this thyroid nodule. Apparently, it’s only like 5-10% of thyroid nodules end up being cancerous, so just trying to repeat that statistic in my head when I start worrying again. He should hopefully get a letter this week with his ultrasound date. 
• Rants/Raves? Questions? Rave - had a great birthday weekend with family dinners, brunch with friends, a pedicure with my best friend, and going out for dinner and a play with DH. Hard to get back into the swing of work after such a nice weekend, but reminding myself that I only have 5 weeks left. 
• Any upcoming appointments? OB appointment on Jan 29th. 
• GTKY: what is one personal item you just can’t live without? For some reason the first thing that popped into my mind was my wooly socks. They’re super comfortable and great for curling up on the couch to read a book with tea. 

[Deleted User]

@sincethelastday happy belated birthday!  Fx your husband's thyroid results come back clear. :). If it makes you feel any better, we brought home so many nb diapers from the hospital we were really set for a WHILE.  The nurses were adamant, no, please!  Take everything from the room! So that was cool too, that they gave us out blessing.  I recommend packing an empty lightweight bag just for throwing in all the free hospital swag (diapers, pads, compression socks etc.)

@emmasemm I wouldn't worry too much about all the nb stuff, tbh.  If you have some, you're good, and you'll know better how much you need once baby is here.  Every brand is different, but I literally had nb stuff she never wore bc it was cut so snug, and she came out big. 🤷 3m stuff can be worn in the meantime, even if it's big, and a friend or family member can easily pick up a few more nb things if needed (not sure if you have Amazon lol).

[Deleted User]

<ul><li>How far along/EDD? 9+3 / 8/21</li><li>How are you feeling this week? Okay, but pgal brain is still in my head.  Looking forward to having NIPT and 1st tri behind us....</li><li>Rants/Raves? Questions? Announcing to DHs family this weekend and I'm still scared as heck</li><li>Any upcoming appointments?  Not till next week, for NIPT draw, and then next scan is the NT scan at 12w.  But I'm going back to the chiro on Wednesday.</li><li>GTKY:  What is one personal item you just can’t live without?  My shower comb.  I have long hair, so I have to comb through my conditioner in the shower.  It's non-negotiable.</li></ul>

PoeMasque

@emmasemm being shorter definitely makes these last few weeks tough! I can’t remember the last tome I went to bed without heartburn or the last time I did any amount of activity without feeling like I couldn’t breathe, but it’s all making the nerves around my c-section a bit better since it means an end to being constantly achy and miserable haha! Glad you are getting some free stuff from friends! We were lucky to have the same situation with our first and it saved us so much money! I agree with @BusinessWife on the nb stuff, usually sticking with 0-3mo items is fine as they only wear nb size for a week or two (unless you have 9lb+ babies). 

@sincethelastday I’m so glad to hear the likelihood of anything malignant for your DH is so low! Hopefully you get some answers soon. Glad you had a great birthday! Are you taking any time off before baby comes? 

@BusinessWife so close on the first trimester screens! Those always felt like the longest wait for me and the biggest relief when they were over. 

• How far along/EDD? 37+2, 2/8....but arriving 1/22
• How are you feeling this week? So ready to be done! But I think that feeling started once I knew baby was coming early haha! I had about an hour of super painful contractions early Saturday morning, 6-7 mins apart and 40-60 seconds long. Thankfully they stopped when I got up and walked around. 
• Rants/Raves? Questions? Rant - I hate the healthcare/leave system in the US. Why is it my responsibility to call 5 different agencies to coordinate my leave?? And then none of them get any of the paperwork the others have sent to them?! (And why are we still faxing anything these days!!). I spent this morning calling the FMLA people and my OBs office because my leave paperwork can’t seem to get to the right place. Imagine doing this with a newborn and post surgery! On top of that IT sent me an email this morning telling me they completely deleted my voicemail at work.....but I’m on leave and not allowed to do anything about it. The only rave is that I’m on leave, although my list of “to do” items before weds is a bit daunting! 
• Any upcoming appointments? C-section weds morning! 
• GTKY: what is one personal item you just can’t live without? I know this is super vain, but a razor. I have jet-black hair and lots of it. I’m definitely not one of those women who can pull off the “natural” look when it comes to body hair - even with the new trend of thick brows and hairy armpits....I would literally put most men to shame! 

hanshotfirst77

• How far along/EDD? - June 21st, 18+1
• How are you feeling this week? - Mostly good. I've been getting some backaches which have caused some nausea this weekend. But my sleeping seems to have improved. 
• Rants/Raves? Questions? - I hit up some great sales this weekend on baby clothes. And the crib/dresser I ordered a few weeks ago that was supposed to take 6-8 week is actually available now. I setup delivery for 2 weeks to give some time to get the room in order. It's currently been used as a place for junk. 
• Any upcoming appointments? - Not until the A/S next week.
• GTKY: what is one personal item you just can’t live without? My coffee maker. I switched to decaf while TTC and Pregnant and cut down to 1 or 2 cups a day at most, and for awhile there in 1st tri I couldn't even stomach my beloved coffee. So glad I can drink it again. That cup first hing in the morning is one of my favorite moments of the day.

@BusinessWife PGAL brain sucks. I hope the next few weeks fly by until your next appts.

@PoeMasque I can't believe you are meeting your LO so soon! So exciting!

@emmasemm I'm probably the minority here, but I've made sure to have a good supply of NB stuff as well as the 0-3 and 3 stuff. Mainly cause DS was on the smaller side and actually spent a good month in NB. I know that is not the norm, but it could happen again so I'd rather be prepared. But it's true you can always go get it or send DH out. I'm just such a planner. lol

@sincethelastday Fx for your H's results

wildrainbow

• How far along/EDD? 10+1/Aug 16
• How are you feeling this week? A lot better. My nausea has decreased exponentially, and I'm not as tired. The big is my lack of appetite. I eat because I know I need to, not because I'm hungry. 
• Rants/Raves? Questions? Rant: This is going to sound very, "me, me, me" but oh well. The only people who have been excited we are pregnant are my dr (who literally hugged me) and my dad and stepmom. Everyone else has just been blah. I'm not saying that I want a ticker parade, but a congrats would be nice. I realize we weren't planning this babe, but we are happy about it, especially after all we've been through to even have babies. It's just a bit underwhelming I guess. I dunno. 
• Any upcoming appointments? Jan. 30 for NIPT, u/s, and dr
• GTKY: what is one personal item you just can’t live without? Chapstick. I have to have chapstick. 

@PoeMasque Yay Wednesday! I'm so excited for you. 

@emmasemm I feel you on the short torso. I'm 4'11 and with both boys, by 30 weeks I was out of room. They were literally curled in on themselves. 

@BusinessWife Hugs, hun. PGAL is hard. Dont forget your mantras, and have faith. 

@sincethelastday FX your hubs gets in for an u/s soon and it's nothing to worry about. 

@hanshotfirst77 I feel you on the coffee, that cup first thing in the morning is nothing short of magic. 

emmasemm

@wildrainbow my OB thinks this is part of the reason she hasn’t changed overall position - and has warned me it might take a few weeks before she feels comfortable with straight legs after birth #shortpeopleproblems (or as I like to describe myself “vertically challenged”!)
I was the same in first tri - even though I was not sick once I lost quite a lot of weight

@hanshotfirst77 I’ve also found quite a few sales but online ordering is a bit dangerous ;-)

@poemasque I can imagine cramming the things you thought you had some more weeks for now into a few days is a bit crazy - but I’m convinced you’ll manage it! I also am signed off work so am not allowed to do anything which makes some things more tricky - so sympathies on them deleting your voicemail!

@businesswife hope the announcing goes smoothly - and once you have those first tri results back of course you don’t totally relax, but I know it is a big big step to pass 

@sincethelastday I have thyroid nodules and was also super nervous but on each test they come back harmless - I do a nuclear study on them every three years and annual ultrasounds to make sure they don’t grow or no more appear. Both my grandmother and mother had them and both only started growing in their mid 50s - but they don’t know how long they were there before. Apparently a lot of people have them but never know. Fx he gets the all clear quickly.

@sincethelastday @businesswife @poemasque @hanshotfirst77 thanks for the reassurance on the not needing too much newborn stuff! DH is also of the opinion that it’s better to have things a little too big than too small so I’ll go steady on the newborn sizes and focus on 0-3 months. 

cashewchicken

• How far along/EDD? 11+2/Aug 8
• How are you feeling this week? I had chills and body aches yesterday and thought I was coming down with a flu. I felt so miserable. I slept most of yesterday and slept early last night and I feel so much better today, though not 100% yet. I think I just need to take better care of myself since lately I’ve been getting by on less sleep and not eating healthy. 
• Rants/Raves? Questions? I’m really surprised how different pregnancies can be. With my son, I had no symptoms the first trimester. I had a ton of energy and no nausea. With this one, I feel queasy all day long. Not enough to make me want to throw up, so I should be thankful, but still. Annoying. And food aversion. Ginger makes me sick. 
• Any upcoming appointments? Diabetes counselor on Friday, NT scan on 1/30. Oh and better get those first tri blood tests done soon, too. 
• GTKY: what is one personal item you just can’t live without? Probably my phone but this time of the year my thick down jacket. You can roll your eyes at me, but I’m Californian and I will freeze to death when the temp drops below 50F!

@PoeMasque Thank you for starting the thread each week! You’re almost done (2 days!) Hope to see you around the Bump, maybe in new mommies thread. I also can’t live without my razor (though I get lazy in winter) so I feel you. It was embarrassing when the nurses had to shave me before c-section. Will make sure to get that done this time before we get to the hospital, in case we do c-section again. 

@emmasemm I’m glad that you have a plan in place for pain management. I really do think it’s completely manageable with NSAIDS, at least post-op. Hope you find the key. And yay to the free stuff!
@sincethelastday I’m glad that the DH’s nodule is low-risk. Hope the tests confirm that it is. Happy belated birthday!
@BusinessWife Ditto on wanting to have the 1st trimester behind us. We haven’t formally announced our pregnancy yet but my BIL figured it out when we had to tell him that I’m not eating raw fish when we went on a vacation with him and his kids. How did it go?

@hanshotfirst77 Great sales! That’s awesome. I probably will stock up on some clothes one the first tri is over. DS wore them newborn clothes for a good month or so, too, so I probably will by some of that soon. 

@wildrainbow Glad you’re feeling less nauseous. I have less appetite too, which is really sad. I love to eat but Just the thought of food makes me queasy these days. 

31magnolia

• How far along/EDD? 6w6d/ Sept 8
• How are you feeling this week? Still a little queasy. Trying to do better about eating more smaller meals. Still bloated. Very nervous.
• Rants/Raves? Questions? Rant - Emotions are still high. I'm very nervous about my first upcoming ultrasound and no matter how hard I try I can't not be nervous or stay off google! I feel like if I can get through the first ultrasound OK and the NIPT OK then I'll start to feel a little better, but I know that's probably not true. I'm also going to ask my RE about seeing a MFM. I'm not sure if I qualify though. I just want as much monitoring and testing as I can get!
• Any upcoming appointments? Ultrasound Jan 23
• GTKY: what is one personal item you just can’t live without?  I'm also going to have to go with phone. Everything is on there. 

@PoeMasque - You'll be holding your little one soon. How exciting!

angelina1919

@PoeMasque – Tomorrow is the big day!! I am so excited for you.

How far along/EDD? 12+5 / Jul 29th

How are you feeling this week? Still kind of passing out, but now instead of 7.30 pm is around 1.00 pm…I work from home so thankful about being able to take a nap most days.  And I think that it might related, because as soon as I stopped the PIO the constipation subsided. 

Rants/Raves? Questions? Freaking out about my appointment tomorrow, doing the NT scan and NIPT.  This is my first and not sure which NIPT test it is, so not sure how long it takes to get the results.

Any upcoming appointments? U/S and blood work tomorrow.

GTKY: what is one personal item you just can’t live without?  Sad to say its my phone…kind of runs my day…from alarms, appointments, getting connected with family, etc.

mbradfo2

@angelina1919
I think all the NIPT take about the same length of time to get results - 1 to 2 weeks. The two major ones are Panorama and MaterniT21 so it will just depend on which one your doctor uses. I also work from home several days a week and it was such a blessing when I was pregnant -- I could just nap or relax whenever I got worn out. 

@31magnolia
I think the anxiety never really goes away until you're holding the baby in your arms (and then you get to enjoy all the parent anxieties!) -- I kept saying 'the next milestone' also and I just found new things to worry about! I remember organizing my baby shower gifts at around 32 weeks and saying to my husband, "Do you think I'm really going to have a baby?" haha  The best thing you can do is find a doctor who understands that you're going to be a little higher maintenance and is ready to address your concerns when you have them and offer reassurance. I also found my home doppler and doing regular kick counts to be highly reassuring in between appointments once I got to those stages.

@PoeMasque
You're just about to the cross the finish line!  

@cashewchicken
So excited for you! I second the razor thing....the thing that sorta upset me when they had to deliver early was that I didn't get a chance to "clean up" so to speak. I had been preparing to prep myself to be all nice and squeaky clean for delivery and things didn't quite go like that haha

sincethelastday

@BusinessWife - thanks for the tip about bringing a lightweight bag to take home any freebies from the hospital. Just to have the extra bag in case will be handy! Good luck with your upcoming appointments and tests and hope the announcement to YH’s family goes well - any particular way of announcing it to them?

@PoeMasque - I am taking two weeks off before my due date. Hoping this little guy doesn’t show up earlier than that so I can have a little bit of time to prepare. I’m trying to get as much stuff done before those two weeks, just in case he arrives earlier than expected. I really want to get some freezer meals made - if anyone has any tips or recipes that work really well for that purpose, would love to know! Been thinking of you!! Hope everything goes 100% perfect tomorrow!

@hanshotfirst77 - nice with the baby sales! And hope your nausea totally subsides and you continue to get some good sleep!

@wildrainbow - I don’t think you’re being self-centered or anything like that with wanting some acknowledgement regarding your pregnancy. It seems kind of odd to me that some friends and family haven’t said congrats to you. It’s not like you’re asking for a huge celebration, but just a simple congrats. 

@emmasemm - that’s a relief to hear that you’ve had these nodules and they’ve been harmless! I have a bad tendency to dwell on the worst case scenario, but just keep reminding myself that the statistics are on our side. And hearing other people’s experiences also really help! 

@cashewchicken - hope the queasiness is at its peak and will only go down from here - it’s the worst! 

@31magnolia and @angelina1919 - hope all of your ultrasounds and appointments go well! I know how anxiety-provoking it all can be, but hope with each good appointment and ultrasound the anxiety will lessen! 

bluguitarhannah

• How far along/EDD? 17+, 7/1
  
• How are you feeling this week? Stomach issues over weekend but not bad.
  
• Rants/Raves? Questions? It's not really a rave but my affect is so flat I can't properly rant or rave.  Oh well, better than the days I'm irrationally angry.
  
• Any upcoming appointments? 2/11 anatomy scan 2/13 3rd OB
  
• GTKY: what is one personal item you just can’t live without?
  

@PoeMasque so excited for you.  Almost here!

@sincethelastday I currently have the kind of thyroid nodule you are describing.  They did the us and will monitor again in a few months but I got the same speech on how many are benign.  Hope it all comes out well. 

@Businesswife I hope the upcoming testing is reassuring.  For me, I'm finally getting to full days where I don't think a loss is one test away.  I got to the stage of flutter kicks when I lay down and that was reassuring.  Know that many of us there with you on that journey and know it's a tangible struggle.

@hansohfirst77 I cleaned up on resale shop clothes' sales.  My spouse thinks I lost my mind in that I'm up to 6 months.  However, the items were mostly $1 or $50 cents and seasons where we live are easy to predict.  It felt nice to have something tangible to do.

cigaline

@PoeMasque Well here we are at Tuesday evening already (for me) and still haven’t posted yet this week! Worried I’ll forget to post tomorrow morning so just wanted to say I’ll be thinking of you and hoping all goes very smoothly indeed! How exciting that you are going to meet your LO so soon... I must say I’m a little sorry to be losing my due date buddy but very happy for you that you’ll soon be beyond pregnancy and into the new exciting world of newborns :-) Do let us know all is well as soon as you feel up to it...

akak23

@PoeMasque CONGRATULATIONS! I am so thrilled for you. Please let us know you and baby are doing ok if you think about it.

@emmasemm I don’t know how you feel about taking Tums or Pepcid when pregnant, but my indigestion was becoming unbearable so I have taken one a day for the last 4 days and it is like a miracle pill. (My dr said start with Tums, if that doesn’t work take a Pepcid, but both are totally ok.)

@sincethelastday thanks for keeping us posted on your hubby! Will keep him in our thoughts. And now I’m also thinking about wooly socks lol.

@BusinessWife good luck with the in-laws announcement! 

@hanshotfirst77 I am a total coffee lover too so I feel you there. I’ve been doing half decaf half regular and it’s also one of my favorite parts of the day lol.

@cashewchicken you are so right on taking care of yourself, it’s best for us and our babies. 

@31magnolia the nerves have not gone away for me, even at almost 31 weeks, but they aren’t as severe as early on. Hang in there. You got this! 

@angelina1919 FX on your appointment!

@bluguitarhannah so glad you’re moving along with no major issues.

akak23

• How far along/EDD? 30w4d - 3/27/20, but found out today will be delivering 1-2 weeks early
  
• How are you feeling this week? Not bad, still so much better than the first two tris I just can’t complain.
  
• Rants/Raves? Questions? I just found out today My doctor will induce me 1-2 weeks before my due date bc of my gestational hypertension. For ladies who have gone through an induction, any recommendations/opinions on how to be induced? And if you were given a choice even?
  
• Any upcoming appointments? 2 weeks OB appointment and first biophysical exam which I will then have weekly until giving birth to monitor baby.
  
• GTKY: what is one personal item you just can’t live without? I’m going to have to say phone also! 

[Deleted User]

@sincethelastday @akak23 Thank you!  I rush ordered a custom, "the next baby _family_name_ August 2020," similar to what I had made when I announced being pregnant with DD.  Hopefully it arrives in time for Saturday! 😜

@bluguitarhannah I'm so glad you're in such a good place!  I look forward to feeling those little flutters soon, too... Great score on the clothes!  They grow through it so fast, I'm sure so much of it is still in perfect shape because any one item gets worn so few times.

cashewchicken

@akak23 Last pregnancy I was told I will be induced @39weeks due to gestational diabetes. The method that was described to me was Foley Balloon Catheter method and basically the balloon catheter is inserted into your cervix to help open it. That itself can jumpstart contractions. And pitocin, if needed/wanted. I think the induction via catheter method can take some time to get going, so the doctor recommended that I check in to the hospital the night before. It didn’t go as planned, my water broke at 38+1, went to the hospital, skipped the Foley Balloon Catheter and went straight for pitocin. 

@mbradfo2 Thank you!!

Tulips29

@PoeMasque thinking of you today and sending you all the positive vibes for an easy delivery and speedy recovery! Can't wait to hear your baby news!

wildrainbow

@PoeMasque Thinking of you and praying for a smooth delivery and recovery! Cant wait to meet baby!!

[Deleted User]

@PoeMasque Thinking of you and your little one today!!! ❤️❤️❤️ Hope everyone is happily snuggling by now ...

akak23

@cashewchicken ah I hope that happens to me too and can avoid an induction! 

nken20

Hello ladies, may I hop in?

• How far along/EDD? I'm 31 weeks, EDD April 13, 2020
• How are you feeling this week? Really tired, didn't get much sleep.  Might be causing the headaches
• Rants/Raves? Questions? varicose veins are starting to itch - is this normal?
• Any upcoming appointments? none this week.
• GTKY: what is one personal item you just can’t live without? my cellphone, first thing I look for when I wake up!  And with me all day!  Freak out when it's gone 

@PoeMasque wishing you a safe delivery dear.

31magnolia

Ultrasound went great! Baby is measuring exactly where it should, 7w3d and HB was 147. I just broke down and cried when I saw the screen. One question, they didn't do any lab work. I'll request it at my next appt, but should have they have drawn blood?

mbradfo2

@31magnolia
excellent news! I had been thinking of you   they'll likely do bloodwork closer to 12 weeks; the first scan is usually just dating and confirmation. as long as you have no concerns as far as progesterone levels or estrogen levels, there should be no need for additional bloodwork now.

31magnolia

Thanks @mbradfo2!

cigaline

Hello again all!

Sorry for being a bit absent, but it now feels like a race against time to get everything done and I haven't managed to read all of the many posts on the thread, so just to touch base:

• How far along/EDD? 37w4d/10 Feb
• How are you feeling this week? Really surprisingly good. I'm feeling as though I am going to pay for this at some point! Weirdly I seem to be sleeping better than I was and I suppose that tallies with having more energy in the day. I do have moments where I just crash (yesterday evening after spending an hour and half going through boxes of stuff that got dumped in our move I was shattered) but I'm managing to get through things on my list, just not at the speed I'd like, but there's always little extra admin-y things that crop up to fill the day. The reflux is still present on and off, and I'm having to go to the loo more frequently, but that's about it.
• Rants/Raves? Nothing major comes to mind except just feeling grateful to have this time to get things done... 
• Questions?
• Any upcoming appointments? I now have 'monitoring' once a week until 40 weeks. The first one this week was fine, lay on a bed with 2 probes on me listening to baby's heart beat for half an hour! It was very loud at the start and near the end almost seemed to disappear which was a bit alarming, but apparently all was normal. The midwife told me I'd had 3 small contractions in that time (the second probe was supposed to measure that) but I didn't feel anything, but apparently as they were so small that's not surprising.
• GTKY: what is one personal item you just can’t live without? Well like many I'm wedded to my phone, but I'm going to go with a camera (in my phone unsurprisingly)... I can't remember what life was like before I was able to take pictures of anything and everything. It's amazing to be able to catch so many precious moments on camera and now I have that I think it would be hard to do without...

[Deleted User]

Congratulations on an awesome scan! @31magnolia They took labs at my 8-ish week intake apt at the midwife, and then I'm going for NIPT labs at 10+5, and next scan is not till 12+ weeks. 🤷 Maybe every practice is a bit different, but I was concerned about thyroid because I was on synthroid with my first, but eveeyevery has been good this time! Knock wood lol

Welcome! @nken20 sorry your sleep sucks right now.  It's so hard.  Unfortunately I think the itchy veins is pretty normal, but I would still mention it to your provider.  Mine recommended I start wearing compression socks early to try and prevent them getting worse.

Hopeful_mom

@31magnolia so excited to see your US went well so happy for you!!

@wildrainbow I’m still in awe and so happy for you.  Your friends are whack especially if they know what you’ve gone through to have your boys in the first place...ugh add eye roll here!! Not sure how ur even managing Hope ur feeling well!!

@cashewchicken the nausea really is one of the worst part of pregnancy, maybe you’ve got a lil girl cooking and that’s why it’s so different for you.  

@emmasemm I’m thrilled you’re finally just relaxing even if it’s uncomfortable you’ve always been on the go go go.  Cant wait for your baby doll to get here, such a road this has been!! 

PoeMasque

Thank you everyone! I tried posting an update a few times, but the app refuses to work on hospital wifi. The actual c-section went really well and once the horrific nausea from the spinal went away, I felt pretty good the first couple of days. Unfortunately our little Emmett did not do so well and had to be transferred to another hospital that had a NICU. We didn't get a completely clear answer, but either he swallowed some fluid on his way out, or his lungs weren't quite making surfactant on their own yet (or maybe both?). Either way I ended up sitting in the middle of the transport team, a ball of tears, as they carted Emmett off to another facility. Thankfully, I was able to be discharged the next morning so I could join him at the other hospital. He's finally off of all respiratory support and we are just working on oral feedings. Once he can feed better on his own we get to go home. They think about 2-3 more days. 

Thank goodness my mom was able to stay at home with our toddler, although the mom guilt around having two kiddos in two different places is not fun. C-section recovery is also not my favorite, but that may partly be due to my wanting to be able to do a bunch of stuff that I just physically can't do - like hold our toddler. I'm also so swollen and puffy that my feet and hands hurt - but I think that's due to all the extra fluids I got when I was so nauseous. 

Not the start we were expecting, but everyone will make a full recovery and be fine in the end. I'm just really looking forward to all of us being home soon. 

emmasemm

@PoeMasque oh I’m relieved to see you post but I can understand not the experience you were expecting!
Glad to hear that Emmett is making good progress and that you’re recovering from the effects of all the meds.
Hipe the feeding progresses well and you can all be home together in a few days 

angelina1919

@PoeMasque Glad to hear from you and to know little Emmett (looooove the name) is making progress and soon will be home.  I can imagine the frustration of not being you, but everyday is one more to full recovery from c section.

sincethelastday

@PoeMasque - so good to hear from you, but so sorry that it wasn’t the birth experience or outcome you were expecting. It’s good to hear that little Emmett (also love the name!) will make a full recovery and hope these next few days fly by so you can all be together as a family at home! 

Tulips29

@PoeMasque I'm sorry this wasn't quite the experience you expected. But I'm glad you're feeling well and c-section went smoothly also. Please remember to take care of yourself. We often forget and think of others before ourselves, and it can only end up hurting in the end. Your babies need a healthy mama, so please rest as much as possible (I know it's super hard with a toddler and a new baby) and get all the help you can get. I hope baby Emmett will make a quick recovery soon and come home! Sounds similar to my experience with this LO. I was so nervous of her being on respiratory support, but as soon as she was able to eat on her own she got discharged home. Those NICU nurses are taking good care of your LO and he's in great hands! Please keep us posted on his progress. 

wildrainbow

@PoeMasque I'm sorry Emmett had to be transferred. I know how awful that is. If you have compression socks, use them. They really helped me when I was sitting up at NICU and try to walk around even if it's just around his bassinet. Find out when they will do a carseat test, or see if you can just take your carseat up there and leave it. That way you don't have to lug it back and forth. I know it's hard, mama. It killed me when I had my kiddos in 2 different places. Hugs and I am happy to hear he's already off breathing support. Good luck on feeding, and don't be surprised if it's a little slow. Sometimes, that's just how it is. Hugs. 

k_mama91

@PoeMasque Im sorry your c section experience was rough on you and I hope little Emmett gets to come home in the next day or so. Im sure it’s been hard not being with your other LO but it’s great that he’s got a familiar face at home with him while you’re away. Sending you hugs, keep us posted on you’re little guy ❤️

[Deleted User]

Oh how scary  @PoeMasque so glad Emmett's doing better and you've been reunited. And grateful for mom's help with your toddler. It's hard not to feel guilty I'm sure, but please do try to let that go.  These are the times when we need to lean on our family for support, and it sounds like everyone is coming together to make sure both kiddoes are provided for. (((Hugs))) rest up ❤️❤️❤️

cigaline

@PoeMasque gosh somehow I managed to miss this! Many congratulations on the birth of Emmett. I’m sorry to hear that it was a somewhat traumatic experience, but I hope that by now he’s doing much better than at the start and you’ve been able to go home and enjoy your little family. Thinking of you in these early days and really hoping things go from strength to strength. 

bluguitarhannah

@PoeMosque Congrats on birth.  I hope Emmett keeps doing better and better.  Rough first few days.