Group 3 Check-in (12/17-12/24) Week of 8/5/19

mrszoobear · August 2019

Est Due Date/Weeks + Days:

Team Finding Out/Blue/Pink/Green:

Baby is the size of a(n):

Upcoming Appointments:

How are you feeling?:

Rants/Raves:

Questions:

GTKY: Did you have a favorite teacher growing up and why?

mrszoobear · August 2019

Est Due Date/Weeks + Days: est due date 12/18. 21 weeks on Wednesday.

Team Finding Out/Blue/Pink/Green: Pink!

Baby is the size of a(n): Somewhere between a banana and a carrot length? 🤷‍♀️

Upcoming Appointments: Not this Wednesday but next Wednesday so long as the results from the urinalysis come back okay.

How are you feeling?: Not great! I think it was just a moment of low blood sugar but I almost passed out at the grocery store yesterday. It was very scary. I'm calling the doctor today in case it was a reaction to the new blood pressure medication I'm on.

Raves - My husband continues to be awesome while I suffer through this pregnancy. My mom and stepdad came up from down south. My mom cooked and cleaned for me as well as took me to my doctor and lab appointments. My dad paid for my car to be fixed and gave us about a months paycheck for me to hold us over while the doctor keeps me off work and until I can get some short term disability. It was a godsend.

Rant - I really wish I felt better and could do more. With the incident of almost passing out I don't even feel comfortable driving myself anywhere. It is very limiting. Even feeling terrible I still wish I could do a little more because this has gotten old and boring really fast.

Questions - Any bedrest hobbies you guys can think of? I could use a new one 😁

GTKY: Did you have a favorite teacher growing up and why? - Yes! My 4th grade teacher Ms. Jankins. I had always been a few reading levels behind when I started her class. My mom made me read every day, she ordered hooked on phonics, hired tutors and demanded I be tested to find out why I couldn't learn to read. The school did an IQ test and told my mom I must not like reading or was lazy and not trying hard enough because I had an above average IQ. Made my mom so mad because I had always loved books even though reading was hard and we had tried everything.

I wasn't in Ms. Jankins class for a month before she told my mom, "there is no reason she can't learn to read once you get her help for her ADD." It was apparently very obvious to my 4th grade teacher who had been teaching for over 40 years. She even told my mom what to do to get me diagnosed and sent us to the right places to do it. I was put on an ADD medication by the 5th grade. I had caught up to my grade level in reading by 6th grade and was reading at a college level by 7th grade. They took me off the medication in 8th grade and I had learned enough strategies to be able to handle the ADD on my own by then. She really was an amazing teacher and she changed my life dramatically for the better by caring and saying something.

ktmaesim · August 2019

12-23 ..... 20 weeks today!

Team Green!

Upcoming Appointments: Our Anatomy Scan is tomorrow. I am currently freaking the eff out. I'm just nervous, I feel like this is a big reveal of how everything is progressing and I'm just sooo uneasy idk why. I get like this before any big appt.

How are you feeling?: Pretty good. Our friend visited over the weekend so we did a bunch of activities this weekend and MANNN I was basically hungover on Sunday. I was so irritated with how tired I was. My boobs still hurt so bad.

Rave: Excited for our family vaca this week coming up. We also scored A CRAZY good deal at a yard sale this weekend and got a full Pottery Barn sectional for only $300!!! ( @anni@anniemarie887 actually just downloaded FB and created a secret account and FB marketplace is where IT'S AT!!!) It's perfect for our loft/play area. So excited about it, its pretty nice but I'm glad to have a cheaper couch for that area that's also not an eye-sore.

Rant: I really let the gun violence stuff get to me. It's truly heartbreaking, and it's so frustrating we can't come together to find a solution. It makes me so nervous to go literally anywhere.

Questions: none right now but I'm sure I'll have some soon

GTKY: Did you have a favorite teacher growing up and why? I liked a lot of my teachers. I think my fav was probably my Gym teacher who was also my Gymnastics coach. She was always super positive and a strong independent lady. I also loved my HS flute teacher who was right out of college and basically turned into one of my friends.

cpk3535 · August 2019

@mrszoobear *lurking from another group😊 I commented on your almost passing out experience on the other board, but reading that your on a BP meditation here, I definitely think you need to bring that up to your doctor. I have low BP, and during some of the instances I’ve had tunnel vision bodily breakdowns (sometimes prior to seizures, as I have epilepsy), my blood pressure was extremely low. Maybe your dosage needs to be reduced just a bit til you find your happy place with this medicine. 😊

anniemarie887 · August 2019

@ktmaesim yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaas girl on the FB marketplace, it is my JAM. also i watched the today show sunday morning and just sat there and cried, my husband was like can we please change it b/c it was making me so sad.

@mrszoobear do you like to read? our library will let you borrow books on kindle, so if you have one or even a phone w/the kindle app you don't have to worry about going anywhere.

Est Due Date/Weeks + Days: 21 weeks tomorrow, woot! 12/17 due date

Team Finding Out/Blue/Pink/Green: GREEN

Baby is the size of a(n): as of tomorrow - a kitten - meow.

Upcoming Appointments: 8/22

How are you feeling?: great! i am in full blown nesting mode and accomplishing so much around the house.

Rants/Raves: rant: none really rave: my husband and that dads have accomplished so much on our exterior face lift project at the house, our new front door got installed saturday. needs to get trimmed out, and the portico rebuilt and the light moved from the house to under the portico. but man, THERE IS A LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL! wooo! (mind you we still have excavating for the driveway and gutting the kitchen before baby.)

Questions: none at the moment

GTKY: Did you have a favorite teacher growing up and why? not growing up per se. i was a criminology & criminal justice major in college, and my favorite professor was Dr Gaston, he was the head warden at Rikers Island for years. he has some of the most insane stories.

mrszoobear · August 2019

@cpk3535 - Thank you. I called them this morning and they gave me some suggestions and had me call them in the afternoon. I'm still a little dizzy when I stand but not bad like yesterday. I'm supposed to call tomorrow if it doesn't get better.

@anniemarie887 - Yes I love to read. I went to get a library card the other day but their system was down. I've been meaning to go back but haven't been out there yet.

brrrrrrrrie · August 2019

I'm 20 weeks, 4 days - due 12/19. We had our anatomy scan last week and found out we're having a girl. It was pretty great. I would have been happy either way, but just finding that out makes her feel like a person instead of an alien living in my body.
I'm feeling her move a lot more, although my husband has yet to catch her in motion. I'm hoping he will soon.
No rants or raves. From reading what others are going through I realize I have nothing to complain about! Things are easy for me now and I've been able to relax and enjoy how strange this whole experience is.

Stac928 · August 2019

Est Due Date/Weeks + Days: 20w1d

Team Finding Out/Blue/Pink/Green: blue

Baby is the size of a(n): I have no idea. Big enough to be playing jungle gym with my run cage.

Upcoming Appointments: 8/9 Anatomy Scan

How are you feeling?: tapped out. And hot. Always hot.

Rants/Raves: current rant is not related to pregnancy. But we have been waiting for a fence to be installed for 3 months. Installation was supposed to start today. But Lowe’s didn’t deliver all the pallets of supplies. We are missing two pallets. And they can only find one of them. They are acting like we are hiding one. Are you kidding. Yes I moved a giant pallet of fencing material and hid it to try and trick you.

Questions:

GTKY: Did you have a favorite teacher growing up and why? I had the same teacher for 1-3 grade. Just happened she kept changing grades. She was great and probably is part of the reason I love to read.

Stac928 · August 2019

@mrszoobear crocheting, cross-stitch?? Something crafty?

@ktmaesim I love FB marketplace! Some great deals!

janiep81 · August 2019

@mrszoobear That story gives me feelings! I was just diagnosed with ADHD last year and I felt so heard and validated. My teachers called me lazy. I did okay in school because I developed my own strategies, but they criticized my strategies without every really recognizing the specific way I needed help. My oldest daughter has it, too, and I just told her teacher, "I like to check in on this (ADHD) because I needed someone to do that for me."

Bless Mrs. Jankins' heart for advocating for you.

Speaking of ADHD, I've missed being on my meds while pregnant. I don't take them every single day, but they help so much when I need to really focus and sit and work on something for a long time.

janiep81 · August 2019

@mrszoobear - oh and one more thing. Have you thought about knitting? Its a really versatile craft and useful for babies. The learning curve is front-loaded IMO, so once you get over that initial muscle memory challenge, its pretty easy. I have a friend who was on bed rest for some months and learned to knit and produced some cute little hats and blankets by the time baby was born.

janiep81 · August 2019

Est Due Date/Weeks + Days: 20 weeks, 4 days

Team Finding Out/Blue/Pink/Green: Pink

Baby is the size of a(n): banana

Upcoming Appointments: a repeat anatomy scan at 22 weeks to check on the outflow tracts

How are you feeling?: I'm feeling pretty good overall, but so so so tired. I get my knickers in a twist when people comment about pregnancy being hard when they're "older," like 31. I overall don't feel any worse than I did in previous pregnancies except for the fatigue. I don't want to admit it, though, because lots of mamas have babies at 38 (like me).

Rants/Raves: not really a rant, but I'm just really aware of the age thing right now. In some of those big pregnancy groups on Facebook, there are a LOT of mamas who are LITERALLY half my age. Its just so different. The questions we have, the things we're worried about - are so different. It's probably about the nature of those huge minimally-moderated groups as it is about age, but it's just got me all aware.

Questions: none today.

GTKY: Did you have a favorite teacher growing up and why? I had this amazing math teacher, Mrs. Korte, for two years in high school - geometry and algebra II. I was mediocre at math - was more of an English/History kind of gal - but I liked math in her class. She was pretty old school but she was patient and open-minded about learning styles. If I'd had a math teacher like that earlier, I think I would have considered more math-oriented careers.

I also have a long list of professors in my undergrad major and graduate school that really formed so much about how I do my work even today. I'm so grateful for all of them.

anniemarie887 · August 2019

@janiep81 someone put old and 31 in the same category? Gimme a break. And yes, everyone does things at the timing that (hopefully) makes sense for them. I’d give anyone who said 31 was old a giant middle finger.

Stac928 · August 2019

@janiep81 I'm 38 too! Will be 39 when baby is born. There is a reason people do this younger. To be fair my body is just worn out (TW...…………………………). With losses I've been pregnant or breastfeeding since January 2017. So it might be less about age and more about my body just being done with all this mess.

cpk3535 · August 2019

@janiep81 @Stac928 yay, fellow 38 going on 39 year olds! I actually feel better in some ways than the first time I had an “old” pregnancy at 30!

janiep81 · August 2019

@cpk3535 Me too! This is the first baby I've had while working full-time in my field with good benefits. I mean, we were okay and able to manage before, but this time I have some benefits that make managing all of this a lot easier.

I'm also more relaxed about a lot of things because I've been there before. That's nice, too.

ashorkey · August 2019

Est Due Date/Weeks + Days: 12/18 20w +5

Team Finding Out/Blue/Pink/Green: Blue

Baby is the size of a(n): paper airplane. But I'm convinced its said that for the past 3 weeks

Upcoming Appointments: This Wednesday

How are you feeling?: all over the place. my patience has been really thin with just about everything the last few days. I've been having some cramping and the a few nights ago I was woken up out of a dead sleep (while on my side) with a sharp pain right in the middle of my stomach. I was able to fall back asleep after a while, but it's freaked me out. Then, this afternoon I went to the bathroom and had bright pink spotting. I've called my midwife and we scheduled an appointment for Wednesday to check out what's going on, but she said if anything else happens between now and then to call back or go in. I'm trying really hard not to freak out but I think that's easier said than done.

Rants/Raves: My daughter has dance camp this week and she did awesome at drop off today! I'm so proud of her! Last year she cried every day when I dropped her off but today when we got in the car she said she was a big girl and wouldn't cry!

Rant: not baby related... I'm the only one in my office that does what I do and everyone seems to forget that I have a different role than them. It's really frustrating because they refuse to help me, but when they need to help I need to drop everything for them. Last week our team had a retreat to think about how we can better market ourselves across campus and they kept completely leaving out my whole section of work! Then today I got an e-mail from another staff on campus saying they couldn't reach my web page. I go to it and get an error myself. We're also redoing our website and even though I've brought it up 1000 times that my information needs to be just as easy to access, they didn't create a direct link to it and its buried in the site with half the links now broken! No one is going to be able to find it and faculty and staff are working on hiring their students for the semester right now which is going to create a huge mess if we don't get it resolved like today.

Questions: none

GTKY: Did you have a favorite teacher growing up and why? Toss up between 3rd grade teacher who was just amazing and my calc teacher in high school. He never asked questions but knew I was going through a hard time personally my senior year when my dad and step mom got divorced after my dad returned from Iraq. I found out right before a big exam and he let me retake it because the only credit I got was basically writing my name on it and putting numbers down.

lucylivesinwa · August 2019

Est Due Date/Weeks + Days: 12/19, 20w5d

Team Finding Out/Blue/Pink/Green: Blue!

Baby is the size of a(n): a microphone

Upcoming Appointments: Monday with the gynecologic oncologist. Still waiting on a referral for the maternal fetal medicine specialist. 8/27 for my regular scheduled pregnancy programming witg a glucose test and another anatomy scan to make sure growth is on track.

How are you feeling?: All things considered, pretty darn good. I’m pretty nearly 100% recovered from surgery and am back to working out and hiking, which has gone a long way towards making me feel normal. Aside from headaches here and there, my pregnancy symptoms are minimal and I have lots of energy. My real work is mental trying to stay positive with al the cyst/cancer stuff floating in my head. I think I’m doing pretty well, but stuff is a little scary. There’s a possibility of having to do chemo while pregnant, which I’m super not wanting to do. Talking to both the specialists next week will help me a lot with a concrete plan. It’s also helped my husband and I have good conversations about future family planning. With both our fertility issues and the chemo/surgery that seems to be in my future, more kids is seeming like a very distant option. But we talked and neither of us could really come up with a concrete reason we needed to have more than one. “I had a sibling” and “other people seem to do it” didn’t really qualify as reasons. Neither of us would have a void in our life without another kid. We’ll both be immensely fulfilled and happy with our one little guy!

Rants/Raves: Rave - everyone in my life is continuing to prove how amazing they are. I’ve always been grateful for it, but it’s really been highlighted over the last few weeks. Also, my cousin got invites for my baby shower out and we got our first gift, which was super exciting! We’re doing the showers super early on Sept 7th because it’s at my parents house and they will head south for the winter shortly after that.

Tiny Rant - it’s honestly a bit hard to regulate my emotions about all this stuff while also being pregnant. I feel like I’m at a real disadvantage hormonally! So no more sad songs while alone in the car for me! 😆

Questions: no questions, but thanks for the tips on feeling baby kick! I feel him in there all. the. time!

GTKY: Did you have a favorite teacher growing up and why? I had so many. My grade school teachers were great. But Mr. Craig in the 4th grade was amazing. He was the first one who pushed me into some of the more advanced programs at school without making me feel different at all. I was smart, but deeply shy and insecure back then (a fact my husband still has trouble believing! 😂)

ktmaesim · August 2019

@ashorkey so sorry to hear about the pain and spotting, hope your appt goes well on Wed. that would def worry me to no end too.

CapricaAndrea · August 2019

Est Due Date/Weeks + Days: 20+1

Team Finding Out/Blue/Pink/Green: Green

Baby is the size of a(n): sweet potato

Upcoming Appointments: not until the 26th, though I'm seeing a pelvic floor physiotherapist tomorrow

How are you feeling?: so hot. and as I mentioned in the symptoms thread, my upper back/shoulders are killing me when I sleep

Rants/Raves: N/A

Questions: N/A

GTKY: Did you have a favorite teacher growing up and why? Not really. In high school I had a cool drama teacher who also ran a club where we did a live-to-air tv show once a week which was cool.

Stac928 · August 2019

@ashorkey fingers crossed the spotting stops and all is well.

lucylivesinwa · August 2019

@ashorkey Sending you good vibes with the spotting. Hopefully its nothing and your appointment will put your mind at ease! I also feel you on the patience. The other night I could tell I was getting irrationally annoyed at everything my husband was saying. I had to actively just keep my mouth shut because I knew nothing productive would come out of it! I'm calling that a huge win.

anniemarie887 · August 2019

@ashorkey sorry you're dealing w/spotting, keep us posted. sending lots of positivity your way!

ashorkey · August 2019

Thanks ladies! I'll let you know how the appointment goes tomorrow.

@lucylivesinwa That's exactly how I've been! Luckily I've been able to notice the irrationality in it and give my husband a heads up

newbabymama27 · August 2019

Est Due Date/Weeks + Days: 20 weeks + 3 days, due Dec 21

Team Finding Out/Blue/Pink/Green: finding out hopefully soon!

Baby is the size of a(n): banana??

Upcoming Appointments: anatomy ultrasound on Thursday and switching from family doctor to OB next Tuesday

How are you feeling?: overall I’m feeling not too bad. I’ve always been prone to headaches/migraines and now I have them almost daily. My lower back hurts if I sleep or lie down for too long so that sucks. But no terrible symptoms, so I really have nothing to complain about.

Rants/Raves: super anxious about this upcoming ultrasound! I haven’t had an ultrasound yet and have only heard the heartbeat twice so I just can’t get out of my head

on the other hand, kind of excited about my growing belly and the fact that my husband is thrilled and likes to rub it and talk to baby. It’s super sweet.

Questions: are you guys planning to work up until your due date? Or is anyone taking a week or two off beforehand? Just trying to figure out what I should do... or maybe just wait and see how it goes? I just need to start on paperwork 3 months before I leave so not sure what to do. This is my first baby so who knows how I’ll feel at the end

GTKY: Did you have a favorite teacher growing up and why? I had two. One was my junior high art teacher.. he was super cool and all tatted up and we liked the same music so it was fun to share new music we liked. The second one was my high school French teacher. I didn’t care much about French (but required for us in Canada) but he made it super fun and I found his classes entertaining. He went to France over the summer and sent all his students postcards from there in French. I thought that was really thoughtful!

Stac928 · August 2019

@newbabymama27 I took off 14 weeks last time. Two weeks before and 12 weeks after. So my FMLA didn't start until after but they granted me the time off before. It wasn't planned that way, a client had pertussis and I could no longer have client contact per our Infection Control nurse. I spent about a day and a half catching up on paperwork, then I had nothing to do. So I took vacation time until I gave birth. It happened during that I went on bedrest for four days. Other than that I used the time to prep. Two whole days of meal prepping with my mom. Cleaning the house. Just general prep.

This time I'm planning on at least a week beforehand because I really enjoyed that time off. I don't quite have as much paid time saved up this time so two weeks might not be reasonable. But I can swing a week. Again I don't use my FMLA time and still take off twelve weeks after. My employer needs me more than I need them so as long as I have the leave to cover it they are not likely to tell me no (we are 10 down in a department of 35, they aren't going to fire me and create another vacancy when they can't fill the ones they already have...at least they know I'm coming back at some point).

ashorkey · August 2019

@newbabymama27 last time I worked up until my due date and then was planning on working from home as I felt comfortable to do so until the baby was born... which was the next night. This time I haven't quiet figured it out. My boss is really flexible and understanding thankfully so I think it will depend on how busy I am the few days before my due date. The semester will be out by then so it will depend on how quickly I can wrap up my end of semester responsibilities (usually do so about a week before and then just work on whatever comes in as it trickles in the last few days).

anniemarie887 · August 2019

@newbabymama27 I have myself “off”’ starting the day before my due date really because it’s a Monday, and I’m thinking as long as I still feel ok I will work from home, but not dragging my 40 week butt to my office the week before Christmas. But I’m a FTM, so 10000000% winging it over here.

anniemarie887 · August 2019

Also I missed responding to @lucylivesinwa I can’t imagine trying to focus on work with everything else going on. Your husband sounds like an awesome guy, and I will shamelessly put a plus on adoption if you were interested in investigating that route to expand your family down the road. My two younger sisters are adopted.

ashorkey · August 2019

I had my appointment today for the spotting. All seemed to go ok? She basically just checked the baby's heat rate and felt my uterus. All was good there so we discussed partial pelvic rest with no deep penetration, light exercise only, and no heavy lifting. The cramps that I've been having are hard to do anything with because of my history of severe endometriosis it's hard to say what is that and what could be the baby. She said to just monitor them and if they get more intense or rhythmic that is a time to be concerned. We also discussed if my exhaustion continues she can put in a note for a reduced work schedule with 32 hours a week. We're going to discuss this again at my next appointment as it will be at the end of my first week of busy time for me. Secretly I'm now hoping for a reduced work schedule if for no other reason than for my sanity during the month of September.

anniemarie887 · August 2019

@ashorkey glad it wasn't anything bad! hope you're feeling better today!

Stac928 · August 2019

@ashorkey glad things seem ok. Are you staying hydrated? I have cramping if I’m not hydrated. It’s scary but usually some rest and water helps.

ktmaesim · August 2019

I too have cramping if not hydrated like @Stac928 .

I am feeling relief for you @ashorkey I hope you feel a bit better since your appt.

ashorkey · August 2019

I'm mentally feeling better about it all and just knowing what to do if it happens again makes me feel better.

@stac928 @ktmaesim I have been slacking on my water intake. I've been trying so hard but its been difficult for some reason. thanks for the reminder though to increase my intake and see if that helps with the cramping!

lucylivesinwa · August 2019

@ashorkey - I’m so happy and relieved that things went well for you!

I have a pretty crappy update on my side. The oncologist ended up seeing me today (Wednesday) and things are more serious than I thought. I have to have surgery again on Friday to remove my right ovary, Fallopian tube and some other random stuff. They also want to induce labor as early as is safe so that I can do chemo ASAP. So 12 weeks of chemo with a newborn - yikes. So the next 6 months of my life are going to be pretty rough. But the long term outlook is still the same - baby will live and I will live, and that’s whats important. I just wanted to let you ladies know that it’s been really helpful to have your support. Made even more meaningful by the fact that you give it so generously when we really don’t even know each other. I’ll catch you all on the flip side of surgery!

Stac928 · August 2019

@lucylivesinwa I’m so sorry to hear that. Will be thinking of you Friday. You and baby.

brrrrrrrrie · August 2019

@lucylivesinwa Will be thinking of you on Friday. Let us know how you're doing afterwards. It's great that you're catching these things now and taking action, and it sounds like you have a great support network of family to help you. You can do this!

anniemarie887 · August 2019

@lucylivesinwa I’m so sorry this continues on, please keep us posted and let us know if we can do anything. Send all the good vibes and love your way.

janiep81 · August 2019

@ashorkey I'm glad that baby is doing well but sorry you're in pain and don't have those clear answers that help any of us feel better.

@lucylivesinwa Thinking of you and praying for you on Friday. I made a little note on my computer so I will remember.

CapricaAndrea · August 2019

@lucylivesinwa I'm glad the long-term outlook is good, but I'm so sorry you're going through this.

mrszoobear · August 2019

@lucylivesinwa - I'm so sorry. I can't even imagine how scared you and your husband must be. I'm not sure if you are religious or not and by no means want to offend you but I will pray for you and the baby and a positive outcome.

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Group 3 Check-in (12/17-12/24) Week of 8/5/19

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