Happy Friday everyone!
Tay: I am a little behind on this one but thank you for the birthing story. I am trying to go into the labor with an open mind but DH is really pushing the idea of meds. He just does not like to see me in pain and all the natural birth videos we have watched definitely show the women looking uncomfortable.
Laura: I made it to about 6 1/2 months before ordering the Gabrielle belt. I do think the sizing is funny as I am small with most maternity clothes but ordered a large belt and it fits. Anyhow, I have the medium support belt which I wear on my runs. It really made a difference for me, especially with leg and hip pain.
Monk & Liz: Have fun on the babymoon. I have also heard that using an ice pad to turn the baby can help. Again, it has something to do with wanting to get away from the cold.
Ozzy: Admire your decision to start the mat leave. I keep thinking I want to work up until it happens but as each week passes I become more an more open to the idea of starting a little earlier. There comes a point when you just get too uncomfortable I think.
ER/RR: Pool swim this morning. Very lucky to have a heated pool nearby. I ran 5 yesterday and did a 2 mile walk to cool down. I chatted with a running friend who also does coaching. He told me to cut the running to no more than 5 and definitely include the walking at the end to help stretch things out. The irony is that I don't get sore until after I drive into work. Something about sitting in the car I guess.
PGR: Had a birthing basics class last night. LO is all over the place but I love to feel her. Have a doc appt on Tues to see position and do some stress testing.
NPGR: Hoping to do some more work on the nursery. Basically we are at the furniture arranging phase. I need to wash and put away baby clothes and put away a few boxes. I am starting to realize that I can only do so much and will just have to go from there.
Hope everyone has a great weekend!
YJPM: How exciting! You are 39 w 5 days, so I think the proper term is premature rupture of membranes, which is defined as the membranes rupturing before the onset of labor, no matter how far along you are in your pregnancy. I don't know if there are "rules" as to how long you are "allowed" to wait before the standard of care is to induce/augment the labor. So, it is a good idea to do some nipple stimulation (DH should be happy to help with this, te he he... and if you are open to the idea... clitoris stimulation until you have an orgasm will also help bring on contractions... sorry if TMI, folks), walking/hula, and accupressure points (there is one about 4 finger-widths above the ankle, called spleen 7, which can help labor get moving, when you find it, you will know because it is quite tender). If there are no rules that you have to pop the baby out in a certain time frame, then rest and wait for labor to begin. You never know how long it will be, so even though you are understandably excited, take it easy until the labor demands more of your attention. Congratulations!
schmett: I really think Amazon has made mail order returns a cinch. That's why I am willing to order stuff, even if it needs to be returned.
monk: While you are waiting for your next appointment, you can be doing some things to help baby move into a vertex position. Put an ironing board on your couch, just one end, and put the other end on the ground. Then lay on it, with your head at the bottom. You won't love this position, so do it for only 15 minutes at a time, 4 times per day. Also, get on your hands and knees and do "cat and cow" pelvic rocking frequently. You can also try the warm/cool suggestions given by Ozzy. Play music towards your crotch, have hubby talk to baby at your crotch. Take tepid baths and get into hands and knees position. If you have access to a pool, avail yourself of this privilege. The weightlessness of the water can help baby turn on his/her own. RELAX your abdominal muscles and see if baby can me massaged into the right position??? This last suggestion does carry some risk with the cord, so you may want to try that under supervised care, so you can track baby's heartrate and responses better, OR you may not want to try it at all. When I was full term and in labor with my daughter in the frank breech position, we reasoned that 1. right now we have a healthy baby who is responding well to the labor, 2. if we try to move baby, we may cause problems with the cord and necessitate an emergency cesarean delivery, which would be undesirable for mama, 3. If moving the baby caused distress, the range of consequences could be anywhere from no apparent problems, to slight or severe mental retardation, to death. My request was to do a trial of labor and attempt a vaginal delivery. I asked the doctor to evaluate me on an individual basis and not just give me the standard of care, which is a c/section. He was open to it, and so I labored, very slowly (a breech baby's hard head isn't pressing on that cervix, so it can take much longer, plus I am not good at laboring in a public setting with strangers... this labor was 25 hours from start to finish, with about 15 of those hours as active labor). When it came time to push, I did it without any assistance (no vacuum, no forceps, no pushing on my abdomen), and the doctor simply caught the baby as she came out.
Liz: I like that your job environment should be friendly to your situation. And thank you for the review on the Gabrialla. I could tell, even though it was big on me, that it would be more supportive than the elastic band I have been using.
Ozzy: Yes, I heard a clip from his interview. I felt similar disappointment when Marion Jones ended up going to federal prison for lying to federal investigators about her doping. It seems we all want to be able to believe in someone, and when we think we've found a hero or heroine, we are only setting ourselves up for disappointment later, when we find that their achievements were not entirely their own.
TN: I've been really pleased with Old Navy yoga pants. Here are two that I have tried and like:
http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=41780&vid=1&pid=897101002
http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=41780&vid=1&pid=897100002
They are stretchy and comfy, and can be dressed up or down. I hope you find something in which you can be comfortable and stylish. I feel your pain with online returns. The only place I don't mind doing online returns is with Amazon.
Cross-posted with a few of you...
I have to agree with Runs on breastfeeding diet. I was told not to eat many things while breastfeeding: no onions, no broccoli, no chocolate. Well, I ate anything I wanted, and all my babies have been just fine. For the first 6 weeks, eat well. You are establishing your milk supply. Don't worry about weight loss in those first 6 weeks. After that, limit your weight loss to 1/2 to 1 lb per week.
Yogi - thanks for the review on the Gabrialla belt. Did your running friend/coach say why you needed to cut the runs to no more than 5 miles? After reading Exercising Through Your Pregnancy by Clapp, I'm convinced that as long as you feel good, don't have symptoms of over training, and baby is doing fine, then you are fine to keep your workout at a moderately hard level throughout your pregnancy.
I don't have time to do full personals now, but I was reading through posts quick and one of Laura's posts to YJPM reminded me of a question that I've had - I'll check with the Dr., too, but when does nipple/other stim become a risk of starting labor? TMI, I know, my fear in the back of my brain was interfering a bit with my ability to "get in the mood" the other night. I've heard it's not until you're closer to actual delivery, but I don't want to risk anything...anyone know?
The short answer about nipple stimulation causing pre-term labor is: it probably won't. Here's a very layman article that explains it: http://alphamom.com/pregnancy/breast-intentions/
My personal experience, and I'm really sorry for all the TMI for everyone, after a certain point in my pregnancies, I no longer find it desirable for my husband to do that. I'm nearing that stage now, at 26 weeks. Orgasm always causes a contraction or two for me, as does the nipple stimulation, but prior to term, nothing more happens for me. At term, it takes constant nipple stimulation for me to continue having contractions. If hubby stops, so do the contractions. I hope that helps.
Delurking....
Yogi- My husband wasn't going to push for any one way but he said that it hurt him to see me in so much pain. He said that he has never seen my eyes look like they did nor ever seen me in so much pain and we have known each other for 11 years. I can tell you that he told me I almost literally broke his hand because I would squeeze so hard to rid the pain. Either way its going to be tough on your DH and watch them at the end because mine almost passed out on me twice. It was quite funny because here I was pushing away to get D out and I look over at my DH on my right and he was sweating like crazy and as pale as can be and I said "Your going to pass out.." and when I said that the nurses were putting wash clothes on him making him sit down in a chair next to me. So I understand where your DH is coming from just keep an open mind when you do go into labor that there is no shame in getting an epidural if the pain becomes to much.
TN - Also chiming in on the nip stim = starting labor thing, if your body isn't ready, then nothing will happen. That goes with pretty much any other labor starting technique, spicy food, walking, etc.
Yogi - Great workout! I'd definitely keep an open mind about labor. Your runs don't go well if you're constantly talking down every tenth of a mile that you can't do it and need to stop, and labor is the same. That said, just like you know when you need to stop and walk and running would push you too much, the same goes for asking for pain medication. I'll also say (and maybe Laura would agree, maybe not) that most women's breaking point is transition. That's the worst of it. That's also when you hear the irrational thought processes come out, but you're almost done. I wouldn't fear natural birth just on videos alone.
Sigh. Did I really only work 8 hours? It felt like 10! I made a mistake on a report I was working on for my boss's boss and he got really upset about it. I'm sorry, but I am a human, I do make mistakes! Argh. Anyways, I went for a run as soon as I signed off from work and I am feeling SOOO much better. It was the best run I've had in so long. I didn't stop once to walk. And had NO RLP. Yay! I always have the best runs on my second day in a row, which I only do once a week. Seriously considering starting a streak...
Laura - I just have to say that I love having such an experienced preggo on this board! Thanks for all your wisdom/advice. I really hope that you feel better soon! The flu seems to be awful this year, and so widespread! You are supposed to order the Gabriella based on your prepregnancy measurements, I believe. So maybe that's why you were the large instead of XL? I have the large too and it seems to be working well still.
schmetterling - Good luck with the 5k! I think your strategy sounds good, try running slooowly and see if that helps. I find that if I even try to pick up the pace from suuuper slow a little then I have to stop to walk, so it's better just to go really slow.
YJPM - I am running with a support band. It helps a LOT with bladder pressure, I never have to go during runs actually, but it doesn't always help with RLP. Not sure why... I hope you are doing well!! Good luck, and keep us posted!!
Monk - I hope your next workout isn't so tough. So fun that A is starting soccer!! I played for 13 years of my life, so I'm partial. I hope she enjoys it!
Liz - I hope you feel better soon. Being sick is never fun, wayyy worse pregnant though! Have a great time at your babymoon! Hope you are well enough to enjoy it 100%!
Ozzy - So you haven't been drinking any caffeine? I have a cup (and by cup I mean a true cup, 8 oz) of tea in the morning. Happy Maternity leave! I wish I lived in Canada... I'd probably start mine early too, but with only a few months I want them all to be with baby! I haven't officially decided when my last day will be though.
TN - Ugh, don't get me started on maternity jeans! I have a pair of the full panel ones and I am not really a fan... I fold the panel down and then wear my belly band on top of them to make sure they stay. I'm sorry you aren't feeling well, I hope you feel better by now (or soon!).
PRs: 5k - 21:22, half marathon - 1:39:43, marathon - 3:37:16
Yogi - How far along are you? Intersting that your friend said no more than 5 miles... did he have a reason for that? My midwife hasn't said anything about me cutting back on miles, though I only run up to 6, and that's just once a week. I love having a pool as well, it feels so good to go swimming while pregnant.
schmett has me figured out. I must agree, even with as many babies as I have had, the emotional signpost of being in transition is still the same. When I reached transition with my last one, I looked up at my midwife and said, "I don't want to do this anymore. I changed my mind." Now, this is a watered-down version of what I did the first time around. She and I knew exactly what was happening, and there were no dilation checks to be sure (after all my experience, I rarely get checked for dilation when I'm in labor, because my emotional and physical reactions to the labor are pretty reliable). I had 3 more difficult contractions and then I started pushing, which I personally find to be the BEST part of the labor.
The first time I had a baby, I reached transition and said, "I give up. I want drugs." When they started to prep my hand to insert the IV for the drugs, I asked, "Well, wait a minute, how much longer am I going to be in labor?" I was 7 cm at that point, and had been in labor about 8 hours. All the reading I did previously said first time babies take 15+ hours, so I knew I couldn't keep going for 7+ more hours without drugs. The nurse responded to me, "Oh, maybe an hour or so?" I gave birth within 45 minutes, without drugs. I changed my mind about needing drugs, because I was given the educated guess of an experienced nurse, and she turned out to have overestimated!
Labor is definitely a mental game. You know the mental game you play sometimes when you aren't having the best run of your life? Well, it's the same for labor. You can tell yourself, "I'm strong, I can do this. Women have been doing this for thousands of years. I come from a long line of strong women who each gave birth to their children without drugs (until the 20th century, this is generally true... none of your grandmothers had medical assistance at their births) and without a c-section." Or you can tell yourself, "Wow, this is hard, I hate this. How much longer do I have to do this? Get it out of me. I want to be rescued from this experience. I can't do this."
Also, thinking of labor contractions as interesting sensations that take all your attention really helps you get through each one better than thinking of them as labor "pains." If you want a great read on labor and birth, I highly recommend Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin. It's a little "hippy-ish" but not as much as her book Spiritual Midwifery. Focus on relaxing every muscle in your body so that your uterus is the only muscle doing any work. Let each contraction come as a wave washing over you, and welcome the power. Use mental imagery to think of the cervix opening with each contraction. It's so mental, but you ladies are strong, both physically and mentally, and you can do it!
Disclaimer: I did use nubain (a narcotic) with my 2nd baby. Why? Well, lack of support, for one. I probably could have done it drug free if I had a good doula or a wonderful nurse, but I had neither, and it was my husband's first experience. He was completely unhelpful. The other reason, was that we had electively induced because I was due near Christmas time. Yep, I was that young and dumb once. Never again will I be induced for elective reasons. Pitocin doesn't work the same in your body as the natural hormone cocktail you get with your own oxytocin. Oxytocin comes with endorphins to help you deal with the pain, and your body knows your limits. Pitocin doesn't know your body's limits, and you get no endorphins with it. Anyway, I'm glad I used the nubain, because it allowed me to relax enough to get through the labor. If I hadn't taken it, I would have been bracing myself for each contraction and fighting against it. The contractions came very close together (thanks, pitocin) and so I couldn't totally relax between, so I wasn't ready when the next one came. Nubain allowed me to finish at all, so drugs do have their place. However, I set myself up for needing drugs with an induced labor and lack of support. Live and learn.
MA: I'm glad to share when I see a place to do so, but I don't want to get annoying. So, just scroll past if it's too much.