Ravenna's "Here We Go Again"... Baby#3

[Ravenna Angellin]

So I finally came to a decision this past week. After much thought, and soul searching... I've decided that I'm going to go ahead and have this baby.

Wow. It's going to be interesting... and I haven't quite figured out when to tell my boys... but I know I will at some point. Finn is still too little to really understand, but I think Aiden will be excited (He desperately wants a little sister, lol!).

It's strange to know that I'm pregnant this early. Just barely 4 weeks along. I don't even have any symptoms yet. Well, aside from peeing constantly, and being extremely hungry all the time. No morning sickness as of yet (though I may skate by with none this time 'round... with the boys I was sick really early into my pregnancies), and no cravings for food yet, either.

Though after watching Alton Brown on Food Network... I really would like some Nachos with fresh guacamole. Mmmm.

Okay, so that's it for the moment.

Blessings,
~ Ravenna

[Morr]

YAY!

And hey, we can be pregnant together for a couple of weeks ;)

And hey if it is a girl, by the time you have her I might be able to send you some girl newborn clothes ;)

*hugs*

I am glad you made a decision and are confident with it. You will do great.

Congrats!

[RubyRose]

Aww! Congrats. I went through a similar stage recently where I wondered if I'd made the right decision in keeping this bub.

[KaidaMidnight]

Oh I'm so glad that you decided to go ahead and have the baby! :) And hopefully Aiden gets that sister! :D (My oldest keeps calling our baby "his sister" .. he wants a sister too! )

It will be a challenge, but we are all here to support ya!

[DreamSpell333]

Thats great. :) I wish you the best in this pregnancy. I hope you get your girl! :)

:hugz:

[Brightshores]

Congratulations and best wishes for health and strength. You can do this! :hugz:

(Btw - I've been wanting guacamole for the past few weeks myself. Perhaps it's a first trimester thing? :lol: )

[Ravenna Angellin]

I've really got to stop watching the Food Network... so many foods, so little time!!

So far all is well and good with me. Feeling bloated and slightly crampy, but that is fairly normal for this time period. Especially since this is number 3 for me. My body is all like, "Oh yeah, we know what's going on!" I'm just wondering how much time I've got before I need to start hunting down all my maternity clothes again. Shirts will still be good, I'm sure... but all my maternity pants will probably need to be replaced. I was much smaller starting out with Finn than I am this time 'round.

No other symptoms as of yet. Just hungry, tired, and needing to pee constantly.

I've got three friends who are absolutely positive that this one must be a girl, and I have to say, I really hope it is, lol. 2 boys is tough... but I don't think I'll remain sane if I have 3 boys... think of when they're teenagers... yikes!! Well... actually... I suppose it doesn't matter... 3 teenagers will be hell regardless, hahahaha!

Either way it will be interesting. My due date right at the moment is March 28, which I find very amusing. That means I'll have a February (Finn) birthday, March (baby), and April (Aiden) birthday.

Mmmm. I just made myself some yummy pastry snacks. Beggar's Purses made with spinach and goat cheese. Sooo good!! K, I'm gonna go pork out now!!

~ Ravenna

[Morr]

WOOHOO! March 28th BAYBEE!!

That is my birthday!

Now you MUST have a girl and she MUST come on the due date!
That would be awesome!

SO AWESOME!

[Ravenna Angellin]

Okay, so still no morning sickness... but one never knows. I learned first hand while pregnant with Finn that no two pregnancies are alike... so I don't fully know what to expect with this one.

I've started having some cravings... for salmon of all things. Smoked. Mmmmm. And a few food aversions... the smell of cooking hamburger is enough to make me want to turn green.

I have my first appointment to see my doctor (now that I've made my decision to have the baby) on Wednesday. She'll at least be able to take all my vitals and get me going for my pre-natal care. We also find out if my insurance will allow her to do my pre-natal care for the duration of the pregnancy (she is a family doctor, with a specialty in women's health and obstetrics). Definitely get one thing off my list of things to do. Gotta find a good doctor to care for me and baby to be!

Okay, so I'm gonna go back to my smoked salmon and eat it. Mmmm.

~ Ravenna

[Willow Rosette]

Im sorry Im just now seeing this. I think it is a very brave decision you have made to have this baby. Congrats to you on your new bundle of joy!!!

[Ravenna Angellin]

Okay. So I saw my doctor this week, and she was pleased to hear that I'm keeping the baby. She took my vitals and all that fun stuff, and then started talking about my various medications that I'm supposed to be taking.

So I already stopped taking the bi-polar meds. Which is good. Because they are BAD!

Then I stopped taking some of my asthma/allergy medications, because I wasn't sure if they were bad. Well, in order for me *not* to die from asthma, I most certainly have to continue taking my albuterol and my advair. But the other 2 meds (yes, I have 4 medications in order to keep my asthma in check) she wants me to stop taking because there isn't enough research on whether they are harmful or not. So, better to be safe than sorry.

Unfortunately, she no longer delivers babies in her practice, but I did manage to luck out, and the clinic where my OB for Finn changed policy, and will once again accept my insurance!! So yay! Once less worry for me. Plus, since I already know how the doctor will work with me, I'm very comfortable with the care I will recieve...

Though also apparently in the past 2 1/2 years, they've added a midwife to the practice, sooo maybe I'll visit with her and see if I like her or not!

I made an appointment for later this month to see the OB... and also told them about the brief time I was taking the meds for bi-polar, so they also want me to see a perinatologist (sp??), which is I guess a specialist for problems that occur in utero. I think. I'm a little nervous about that, but I'm confident that there is nothing wrong with the baby, and that the exposure to the meds won't cause any lasting issues.

Oh! Oh!

I've got middle names picked out!! Well, okay, so I've had middle names picked for ages... but now I'm kinda wondering what names I'll choose for first names. But I have time for that. In the meantime... the middle names are:

Edward (my father's middle name, it's an old family name)
Wilhelmina (my father's mother's middle name, also an old family name)

Interestingly enough... I didn't know what either of these names meant (always figured I'd look up the meaning at some point... just never got around to it) but I was telling a friend of mine about them, and *she* looked them up... they mean the SAME thing!!

"Devoted Guardian"

Very interesting I think.

Anyway... so that's enough blather from me.

Peace,
~ Ravenna

[Morr]

I am glad things are going well for you :D
Love the middle names ;)







...
I hope you have a girl though! Heheheh..

[Ravenna Angellin]

So in about an hour or so, I go in for my first pre-natal appointment. I'm nervous. I don't know why, I mean, I've done this twice before... but this time is different. This time I'm going all by myself. It's weird, but I'll manage.

So far, I've got around seven people who are certain I must be having a girl this time 'round (my dear friend Josh told me that God wouldn't be so mean and give me another boy, lol). But you know, as much as I want my own little girl... I'll be happy regardless of the sex of the baby. Just so long as it's healthy.

I may actually have to have some serious genetic testing done as well. My littlest cousin was *finally* given a diagnosis for her issues. Poor thing has been bad off since she was born (she's 5 now) and the docs have pin-pointed it as "Ehler's Danlos Syndrome"... a very serious, but rare genetic disorder that will eventually lead to an early death. I guess there are several levels of seriousness of the disorder, and hers is sadly the most grim version of it.

But apparently, it might have come from our side of the family. I don't know. I'll have to wait and see what the doctor will say about it.

Frankly, I'm just going to keep on maintaining that I have a normal, healthy pregnancy thus far, and will keep knowing this. There are no problems.

I've picked a first name for a girl though. It's one that I've had in mind for many years, and for some reason... I just love this name: Aislinn.

It means "vision, or dream".

Anyway, I'm going to go get ready to leave for my appointment. I'm come plug back in a bit later to dish out on it after I get back!!

~ Ravenna

[KaidaMidnight]

Hope your appointment goes well. I love the name you have picked out if it's a girl! :D

[Ravenna Angellin]

Thanks KM!!

The appointment went pretty well. Pretty standard stuff for the first of many trips to see the OB. It took a lot longer than usual though, as we've learned more about my medical history since Finn was born and we had to update my file and stuff. But other than that, routine, routine, routine.

I was a bit bummed that they didn't even attempt to hear the heartbeat (my favorite part of early pregnancy.... reminds me that yes, I am in fact preggers), but it's fine. I am excited though cuz I'll get my first ultrasound next week!! Just for dating purposes. When I got the pelvic exam, the doc placed me at somewhere between 8 and 9 weeks by the size of my uterus, so ultrasound here I come!!

Then the blood drawers came. Routine stuff again. My commentary to them:

"Ah, yes... the vampires are here. We're going to be such good friends this next year!!"

At least I got a good giggle out of the girl.

So yeah. It was fine and dandy. I have a series of tests to go through over the next several weeks, which will be fun (note dripping sarcasm) but the doc wasn't too concerned that there would be any problems with the baby. She's confident, and so am I.

Okay, well I am off in search of food. I really should stop watching Food Network all the time. It makes me hungry, lol!!

~ Ravenna

[Ravenna Angellin]

Yay!! I had my first ultrasound this morning. It was pretty cool. It was hard for me to see, since the screen wasn't exactly facing me, and I had to crane my neck in a weird angle to see anything... but I saw my little peanut!!

It was wiggling!! Sooo cute!! Didn't hear the heartbeat cuz the technition didn't have the sound on, but I did see a little fluttering where the heart was beating!!

Officially, I am 9 weeks, and 6 days preggers. How cool! And I am starting to feel a bit queasy now and again, but mostly if I don't eat often enough. How strange this pregnancy has been so far. I was sooo sick all the time with the boys, and so far this one has been pretty tame in comparison. Perhaps I'm just used to it or something.

Either way, I'm in a happy mood right now, seeing the baby always was the best part of getting these appointments done!!

~ Ravenna

[wolfjan1]

Bless you for your strength and bravery. All the new Moms of the world. You have support here from this wonderful community.
And, as always, Teach your children well.

[Ceres]

Maybe you are having a girl this time and thats why you arent as nauseous. I doubt its because you are used to it - It surprised me all over again each time :blech:

[Ravenna Angellin]

*sighs*

I'm 10 weeks pregnant... and already showing a great deal. I look like I'm 4-5 months!! lol. Well... I never *did* fully get rid of the pooch I developed from the 2 boys, so I suppose that's part of it, hahaha!

I finally got my maternity clothes out today. Washed them up and made sure they were clean. Then had the brilliant idea to try them on to see what will fit, and what will not.

Rats.

Looks like I'm going to have to find some newer stuff. The pants are all too small. I have ONE pair of sweat pants and a denim skirt that will possibly work for a couple of weeks at least. And a few t-shirts, the t-shirts will work just fine, thank goodness. But my nice blouses and other jeans are just too small. Rats.

I have GOT to take a pic and put it up here, it's comical. I was out the other day, and this lady asked me if I knew what I was having yet. Totally flustered me, cuz... well, it's too early to know the sex. But here I am with this little preggers belly.

*sighs*

I think I'm going to meander over to the Motherhood Maternity website and see if they're having any sales on jeans, lol!

~ Ravenna

[imapepper]

So glad things are going good so far. Ah and yes, the morning sickness. How do I miss thee! (yeah right) Right now all I have is a denim skirt and some lounge type pants as well, though I'm kinda lazy to buy more clothes since I feel that three months till my princess gets here is going to go by fast and I won't have time to enjoy those last pregnancy fashions. Hehehe.

Hey, at least your pooch is from two previous babys, I on the other hand, have no excuse other than too many sweets. LOL.

Can't wait to see your pics!

:)

[Ravenna Angellin]

OMG!! I want tuna!!

A tuna melt sandwich actually.

Mmmmmm.

This is new. With Aiden I wanted steak, rare (the waiter at the restaurant thought I was loopy when I told him I wanted to hear it's last "moo"). With Finn I only wanted cheese... no meat (which we used to joke that watch he turns out to be a vegan... while not vegan, he does prefer veggies to any sort of meat). And now I want tuna. But I just ate a tuna melt sandwich yesterday!! Waaah! I want more!!

11 1/2 weeks along... I have a headcold, or possibly my allergies are kicking into high gear again. I'm going through caffeine withdrawls and I could really use a cigarette at this point.

Though I am happy to report that all my doctors are pleased with my caffeine cutting down, and I have quit smoking, yay!! I'm very proud of myself, as it's been quite the difficulty quitting all those bad habits of mine, lol.

Anyway, that's enough from me!!

~ Ravenna

[DreamSpell333]

OMG!! I want tuna!!

A tuna melt sandwich actually.

Mmmmmm.

This is new. With Aiden I wanted steak, rare (the waiter at the restaurant thought I was loopy when I told him I wanted to hear it's last "moo"). With Finn I only wanted cheese... no meat (which we used to joke that watch he turns out to be a vegan... while not vegan, he does prefer veggies to any sort of meat). And now I want tuna. But I just ate a tuna melt sandwich yesterday!! Waaah! I want more!!

11 1/2 weeks along... I have a headcold, or possibly my allergies are kicking into high gear again. I'm going through caffeine withdrawls and I could really use a cigarette at this point.

Though I am happy to report that all my doctors are pleased with my caffeine cutting down, and I have quit smoking, yay!! I'm very proud of myself, as it's been quite the difficulty quitting all those bad habits of mine, lol.

Anyway, that's enough from me!!

~ Ravenna


Good for you on quitting!! :) I wish my husband would quit smoking.
I've been wanting tuna lately too . My husband was making coffee yesterday morning,and I thought I smelt tuna. ( I know im not pregnant though as im on day # 8!! of my AF :/)

Are you having morning sickness at all?

[Ravenna Angellin]

Good for you on quitting!! :) I wish my husband would quit smoking.
I've been wanting tuna lately too . My husband was making coffee yesterday morning,and I thought I smelt tuna. ( I know im not pregnant though as im on day # 8!! of my AF :/)

Are you having morning sickness at all?

Nada on the morning sickness. It's really weird. I was sick as all get out with the boys, and this one has been smooth sailing. I'm not sure I like it, lol. At least with morning sickness I still knew I was pregnant. I mean, I've seen the peanut on the ultrasound, so I know it's there... but I'm not sick! I suppose I should count my blessings that I don't have to deal with it again, but I'd almost rather have the nausea just so I remember that yeah, I've got cargo haha!

Smoking is one hell of a habit to kick, and I've had a few slip ups here and there, to which my doctor said it was okay, don't beat myself up about it and try again. She's really supportive, and thankfully I have a large support group to help talk me out of a smoke fit. I'm glad that it's working though, mostly because I'm tired of smelling icky, I want my clothes to smell good again, I want to breathe easier, and most of all... I want my children to be happy, healthy, and have a mom who is around for them, not dying of cancer or emphysema, ya know? It's a good thing!!

Blessings,

~ Ravenna

[Brightshores]

I've been eating lots of tuna sandwiches too, LOL! Aren't they wonderful? :D

Congratulations on quitting smoking! That's a really hard thing to do - it just shows what a caring and compassionate mom you are and will be to the new little one. :)

[Morr]

I am a huge tuna salad lover.

It just intensified with my pregnancy! I couldn't get enough of it LOL

[Ravenna Angellin]

Mmmmm... tuna.

No! Must resist!! lol.

So salmon season has opened out here. The kids' dad has gone out a few times in an attempt to catch me some salmon, because "the Omega-3's are good for the baby"
O_O....-_-

He said it like I didn't know that already. Such a doofus.

And while he is still not enthused over the fact that another baby is coming in our family... he is warming up and getting a little more involved. Which is nice. Though, I am trying really hard not to get my hopes up about him and I patching things up, but it's difficult. He's a self-centered jerk the vast majority of the time... but those moments where he's not being self-centered, he really is very sweet. Meh.

Mmmmm.... salmon DOES sound pretty good though. Baked, with lemon, rosemary and thyme... ohhhh yeah.

~ Ravenna

[Ravenna Angellin]

So I had another appointment with the OB/GYN yesterday. Pretty routine. I've been having random dizzy spells lately and she said it was just a pregnancy thing, pretty common I guess. I never had dizzy spells while pregnant with the boys, so I was a little worried that maybe I getting a litte anemic or something. But I guess I'm alright in that area.

Though I did get to hear the heartbeat!! That's probably one of my favorite things in early pregnancy...before you can really feel the baby moving and all. I always wondered "is it still there? is it still alive?" but hearing that heartbeat... it's beautiful. A nice and strong "swoosh swoosh swoosh" sound. So wonderful!!

Okay so that's my update for now!!

~ Ravenna

[Ravenna Angellin]

I have bipolar disorder. It sucks. I'm not on any meds as of this moment, though my OB said I could go back on them in a couple of weeks.

My psychiatrist up and quit a couple of weeks ago, right before I was supposed to go and see her, and my clinic isn't expecting to hire a new one until after January. So I've been in a pickle. It's hard.

I've been able to start noticing when I'm moving into a manic episode, which is helpful for me and my family, because then we are able to anticipate it and help me as much as possible. But I still need the therapy for this disorder.

Thank the gods above for my local WIC office!! I had an appointment with WIC this morning, and the counselor there gave me a list of recommended clinics in the area and had me call them. And I think someone must be looking out for me right now, because the first place I called not only set me up an appointment, they put me right on the top of the list (no 3-6 month wait to get in) and I have an appointment set for 2 weeks from now!

YAY!!

It sounds so silly to be so excited about a psych evaluation, but I tell you, I really am. It's like the first step on a long road of management and recovery.

Plus, I'm just glad that I really am not crazy.

~ Ravenna

[Ceres]

I am glad you found a place that will help you with finding therapy! Here I thought it was mostly canadian health care that dragged its feet about getting help to those who need it!

[KaidaMidnight]

Here I thought it was mostly canadian health care that dragged its feet about getting help to those who need it!

Oh no, America is much worse at dragging it's feet when it comes to medical stuff. LOL

Glad you found a place to help, I bet that takes a lot off your mind and shoulders huh? :hugz:

[Ravenna Angellin]

It really does take a lot off my shoulders, and alleviates a great deal of my stress, too! I'm just really... relieved. And as far as health coverage dragging their feet here in the states... it's even worse if you receive medical coupons, which I do get. But thankfully, I have to admit that aside from delays in my mental health care, I've had really great health care so far. It's been good.

Oooo! And I got to go maternity shopping with a girlfriend of mine yesterday!! YAY!! New clothes that are super cute can really do great things for a person's outlook on life, lol. Plus, Old Navy actually has super cute maternity clothes for cheap!! YAY!

Okay, I'm happy now... and hungry.

*goes off in search of yumminess from the kitchen region of the house*

~ Ravenna

[Ravenna Angellin]

So I just got back from my latest OB appointment. So the baby is healthy and strong (yay!) and I got to hear the heartbeat again, which is fabulous (I always liked that extra confirmation that yes, indeed, the little porkchop is still alive in there, lol).

However, I got yelled at because I've apparently lost 10 lbs in the last month and that is apparently not normal or good. I've been ordered to (and I quote) "Become a fat, lazy, blob on the couch and eat more. Healthy food obviously, but please, indulge every so often on hot fudge sundaes and cheesecake."

Awesome. I've just been told by my doctor that I get to eat junkfood (within reason). I'm so giddy I might just go eat a bag of potato chips right now, hahahaha. Yea, I'm easily amused.

Next month is the ultrasound!! WOOT! I certainly hope they tell me I'm on team pink this time 'round!!

~ Ravenna

[Ravenna Angellin]

I've been having horrible nightmares lately. It's insane! I don't remember having any nightmares of this variety when I was pregnant with the boys, so I'm not sure if it's just my hormones catching up and puking out at me in the night or what.

I dream that I go into major premature labor and my baby dies. Awful!!

Maybe it's some sort of weird thing attached to the fact that my best friend was pregnant a few years ago, and at the same gestation of pregnancy as I am now, went into labor... her son died. Is it just paranoia on my part, mixed with grief at my friends' traumatic loss?

It's strange. It's affecting my sleeping, and now I'm grumpy and pissy all the time. Which mixed with my bi-polar... not a good thing. I've been having more and more manic episodes lately, and I think at this point, I'm going to have to ask to be put back on my meds to help control it. It's crazy, and I can't function like this. It makes me feel horrible and I'm so short tempered with everyone, including the boys. Ugh. Thankfully, I see my therapist tomorrow, and maybe she and I can talk about it some more.

On a lighter note... I've been totally vibing my preggo friends' labor dates. I've called two people now after having a "feeling" that they were ready, and I wanted to check whether or not they had popped yet. Within hours of my call, they've gone into labor. Crazy!! lol.

~ Ravenna

[Marcasite]

I'm sorry you're having bad dreams! I've been having bad dreams too, but mine all seem to revolve around the pillsbury dough boy (my baby turns into it, or else I do, or worst of all my DF does! ughhh) I have an irrational fear of the pillsbury dough boy. My fiance thinks this is hilarious. I hope you sleep better and that your bad dreams go away soon.
That's really neat about calling your friends! :) You certainly have strong intuition!

[Ravenna Angellin]

Had my glucose test for GD done this morning. Ugh. I hate it. No food or drink after 7pm yesterday... all the way until 10am this morning after the appointment. I was SOOOO HUNGRY!! lol.

So yeah, round one is done. Though I'm already guessing that I'll get a call in couple of days asking me to come back and do the four hour test because my glucose test comes back high. Wouldn't surprise me one bit, since it happened both times I was preggers with the boys.

Oh! And I finally put some weight on again. 2 whole pounds!! Yay! lol. I am most definitely all-baby this time round. And the heartburn!! YIKES!

Oh well.

~ Ravenna

[Ravenna Angellin]

Well, the Glucose test came back normal, which is a nice surprise. My iron levels are on the low side, but my doctor hasn't prescribed an iron supplement as of this moment, so I suppose it's not too terrible a thing.

Had another ultrasound earlier this week, definitely saw the boy parts. I won't deny that I am somewhat disappointed, I had reall ybeen hoping for a girl, but the baby is healthy, and honestly... that's all I can really ask for, so I am genuinely happy about it.

Though... those ultrasounds are only about 97% accurate on gender prediction... I'll still hang on to my 3% chance, ROFL!

Biggest concern is that I still have the placenta previa, and there are no signs that the blasted placenta will migrate to another spot away from my cervix. My doc has scheduled another ultrasound in about 6 weeks to check on it. In the meantime, I've been ordered to bed rest... yeah, like that's actually going to happen. As it stands, I'm the caregiver to the two boys I've already got, I'm the one who does the shopping, the housework, the cooking, laundry... and my doctor wants this to stop.

I seriously don't see this happening. There are plenty of people in the house who could pick up the slack, sure... but they don't and they won't... even with my doctor's strick instructions of what bed rest really means.

She's also talking about the distinct possibility of needed to schedule a C-section sometime mid-to-late March. With my history of delivering 1-2 weeks early, she's not certain when will be safest to do it. But unless the placenta moves, it's far too dangerous to allow me to go into spontaneous labor. I suppose there will be tests and what not and more ultrasounds as I progress so that we make the right choice.

My doctor is really great. She makes it a point to stay as close to my ideal birthing situation as is possible, which I guess I'm lucky on. And I know that she wouldn't be talking cesarean unless she genuinely thought it would be necessary. I guess we'll see.

~ Ravenna

[Ceres]

25 weeks is too early for your doctor to start talking about the placenta not migrating by the time you give birth- I would reconsider your confidence in her skills. There is still adequete time. There are also some good reasons to wait until you go into labour before allowing a section, should it be neccessary - you might want to reasearch them yourself before your next appointment so you are prepared. If you are interested, I can recommend some books.

[Marcasite]

I really hope that placenta decides to move for you! Even if you can't be on bedrest, try to take it easy. And I'm sorry it's not a little girl for you.... but you never know. I was told my hospital has a very high ultrasound error rate. I talked to soooo many people in the u/s waiting room who were told they were having the opposite sex that they did!
I'm not banking much on it when it comes time to find out. Heck, I wouldn't even find out if DF didn't want to so badly.

[Ravenna Angellin]

25 weeks is too early for your doctor to start talking about the placenta not migrating by the time you give birth- I would reconsider your confidence in her skills. There is still adequete time. There are also some good reasons to wait until you go into labour before allowing a section, should it be neccessary - you might want to reasearch them yourself before your next appointment so you are prepared. If you are interested, I can recommend some books.

Books are good! I do need to do more research. I know it's early for panicking... which I'm trying to avoid... and it's very good that my doctor wants another ultrasound before we start making any plans for anything.

Any and all references and recommendations would be highly appreciated. I like to be somewhat prepared before major decisions are made.

Thanks!

~ Ravenna

[RubyRose]

Your placenta will most likely move. I was diagnosed with a low lying placenta at 19 weeks, but by the time I had bubs, some 9 weeks later (at 28 weeks 1) my placenta had migrated upwards. I wouldn't worry yourself too much. There's plenty of time for it to move and most do move.

[Ceres]

Books are good! I do need to do more research. I know it's early for panicking... which I'm trying to avoid... and it's very good that my doctor wants another ultrasound before we start making any plans for anything.

Any and all references and recommendations would be highly appreciated. I like to be somewhat prepared before major decisions are made.

Thanks!

~ Ravenna

I really recommend the c-section risks chapter of the book Pushed, by Jennifer Block, if not the whole book. Is is very eye opening, but it also is somewhat scary to read simply because maternal infant care is scary in so many parts of the USA. Its good to know, though, why waiting for labour is better even if a c section is medically neccessary. Moreover, the statistoics presented are all very recently compiled so you have current information to show your doctor.

As for the migration of your placenta, I found a study online that showed that in women even farther along than you, (up to 32 weeks) in 38% of cases, the placenta migrated by 36 weeks. You are still far earlier in your pregnancy than most of the women studied. If you consider how much your uterus still has to grow in the next 15 weeks, it isnt surprising that just by its expansion, the placenta will likely shift upwards. http://www.kfshrc.edu.sa/annals/205_206/00-081.htm

You may want to find a local Doula who will attend your birth who will know this sort of thing and be able to help you make informed choices since your doctor doesnt seem to be providing you will all the information you need to make decisions. If you cant afford one, there are often very capable Doulas willing to provide help on a volunteer basis in order to attend the number of births they need to attend for certification. Some do it on a volunteer basis just because they want to help any pregnant woman they can.

ETA: Good doulas are all about women's choice and informed consent. This means they will defend your wishes so you have a better chance to have the birth you want and they also will more fully explain the risks and considerations that need to be taken into any decison you need to make. A good doula does NOT try to dictate how you should have your baby.

[Ravenna Angellin]

Thanks!! I've been looking at buying the Pushed book for a while now, so I think I'll just pick up a copy next trip I make to the bookstore.

Good to know about doulas as well. I used to know a massage therapist who worked for years as a doula, so I might just dig up her number and see if she'd be interested in working with me.

I'm happy to know that the stats are in my favor, too. C-sections scare the daylights out of me. Not that I don't recognize the potential need for them from time to time... but, that's major abdominal surgery... and I will have 2 other kids to take care of, and the recovery time... I have family and friends that can help for the first week, but after that I'm on my own.

Either way, THANK YOU!! I'm going to start looking into placenta previa cases, that way I can present my doctor with more information and let her know that I'm going to be very proactive with my care.

~ Ravenna

[Ravenna Angellin]

Had my latest ultrasound today, and... I've been given the green light that the placenta has moved away from my cervix!! YAY!! Definitely no cesarean section for me!! WOOHOO! I was pretty scared there for a minute, but I am really glad to hear this news.

So, I've been finally released from bed rest and can resume most of my daily activities... though I should still take it easy. We are in the final stretch, with 32 weeks done, roughly 6 weeks left before D-day (give or take a week). Should be very interesting to see how it pans out for us.

Thanks for all the support ladies! And thank you Ceres for the helpful info on placenta previa stats!!

~ Ravenna

[Ceres]

I am SO glad to hear the placenta has behaved itself :lol: You are all set now.

[Brightshores]

Yay- wonderful news! :D

[DreamSpell333]

Thats great news!! :hugz:

[KaidaMidnight]

Yay! awesome news! :D

[Ravenna Angellin]

Just a mini-whine fest...

I HURT!!! My hips hurt. My belly hurts. My pelvic region hurts. My back hurts.

And the HEARTBURN! Dear GODS it's AWFUL!!

_violin_:sadeyes:

Okay I'm done now. lol. Thank Goddess this pregnancy is over in another few weeks. I can handle the crying, the pooping, the burbing, and severe sleep deprivation... but dang! I want my body back!! lol.

~ Ravenna

[Ariste]

:hugz:
hang in there

[Ceres]

:TJust a mini-whine fest...

I HURT!!! My hips hurt. My belly hurts. My pelvic region hurts. My back hurts.

And the HEARTBURN! Dear GODS it's AWFUL!!

_violin_:sadeyes:

Okay I'm done now. lol. Thank Goddess this pregnancy is over in another few weeks. I can handle the crying, the pooping, the burbing, and severe sleep deprivation... but dang! I want my body back!! lol.

~ Ravenna

And you'll get it.....but not before you are tortured for several more weeks :T to be followed by, as you pointed out, more torture. :rotfl: I vaguely remember how hard the end of each pregnancy was - everything hurts and is swollen and huge and you just feel like it will never end, but luckily that amnesia kicks in and you let it happen again. My husband went for the big V just three months after our last - so I could still recall the torture if I started to have second thoughts.

[Ravenna Angellin]

Oh, there will be no more babies for me, lol!! I already signed the paperwork to get my tubes tied. The kids' dad is getting the Big V done as well. We talked years ago about how many kids we'd wanted for ourselves, and both agreed that 3 was the limit... regardless of how our relationship turned out.

But yeah... I'm done, kitchen's closed and all that fun stuff, lol! My doctor and I had a good long laugh at my last appointment though, as I told her that I am soooo over it now and could we just get this kid out?! lol. She just looked at me and reminded me that all too soon this will pass and then comes the fun part where I get to take the kid home with me!!

Ahhh, the joys of motherhood!

~ Ravenna

[Ariste]

:T

And you'll get it.....but not before you are tortured for several more weeks :T to be followed by, as you pointed out, more torture. :rotfl: I vaguely remember how hard the end of each pregnancy was - everything hurts and is swollen and huge and you just feel like it will never end, but luckily that amnesia kicks in and you let it happen again. My husband went for the big V just three months after our last - so I could still recall the torture if I started to have second thoughts.


Lol, i'm already forgetting and wanting another one and it's only been a month, and i'm still not healed. I REALLY want a son though. Still planning on getting either an Implanon or mirena though.

[Ravenna Angellin]

*sighs* When it rains, it pours, I swear!! lol.

So today was my latest prenatal appointment. I am 2 cm dilated and 20% effaced. No biggie, and no real indicator of impending birth. But then again, with my past delivery history, I could be having this baby in a couple of weeks or so. WOOHOO!

But now here's the fun part: This little booger is sitting breach. *sighs* So I've been told to sit on my hands and knees, rock my pelvis back and forth whilst wiggling my bum in an effort to get this little sucker to move. If he doesn't move this way, then my Dr. is going to try and manually move him next week with her hands. Doesn't sound particularly painless to me.

So yeah, anyone have any suggestions on ways to get this little guy to shift positions? lol. Heck, I'll do jumping jacks at this point if I knew it would work! :rotfl:

~ Ravenna

[Ceres]

What a little stinker!

Try putting putting a board (an ironing board or other tough peice of wood) on a chair at one end and on the floor at the other to create an incline. Lay on the baord with your head on the lowest part and your feet up for twenty minutes a couple time a day to encourage disengage the butt and then place a cold pack (bag of frozen peas) on the top of your uterus to encourage him to move away from it. You might also try that webite Rain Inanna suggested www.spinningbabies.com to see what they say about breech. I have also read swimming can help encourage a baby to turn, especially if you turn somersaults and do headstands int he water.

[Ceres]

here is the breech section over at spinning babies:

http://spinningbabies.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=25&Itemid=32

Between 30-35 weeks

Use of maternal positions that put the mother up-side down can help a baby use gravity to flip. The breech tilt, inversion on the stairs, Inversion off the couch or use of an inversion table are all possible options. The Open-Knee chest extends the mother's chin and I've changed my mind about that position. I like inversion positions that allow the mother to tuck her own chin. Myofascial workers tell me this relaxes her pelvis whereas extending the chin tightens the pelvis. This matches what we know about open throated vowels sounds in labor (sounding or moaning in labor).

There is often enough amniotic fluid for an easy flip before 35 weeks. Gentle methods used in alternative maternity care will not force the baby. A few midwives recommend version (manually turning the breech baby to head down) at 30 –31 weeks. They find that there is less resistance from the uterus because there is more fluid and the baby is yet small.


There are some pictures on the site that show how to position to flip baby - check it out!

[Ravenna Angellin]

Awesome! Thanks for the links and the info! I'm going to go surf over to the spinning babies website now!

~ Ravenna

[Brigid Rowan]

One of my pals is an OBGYN, and she was carrying breech and used the moxibustion method..I dont know personally too much about any of the other methods, but it makes interesting reading.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moxibustion

http://www.mother-care.ca/breech.htm

My second baby was breech until 35 1/2 weeks, and flipped all of a sudden one night as I lay in bed reading to child #1. It was very surprising when he did turn himself vertex, and I was actually turned from my right side onto my back as he turned inside! It felt like a greased watermelon doing a sommersault in my tummy! LOL

[KaidaMidnight]

your last appointment? wow.. I had appointments once a week til AJ was born! lucky you... (I HATE the doctor's office... lol) Good luck getting baby to spin around the way he's suppose to be. I heard that trying to turn the baby by hand hurts. :( So hopefully those sites and info will help you so that you don't have to go through it. :hugz: good luck!

[Amethyst Rose]

LOL, she didn't say her last appointment, but her latest. :)

Sorry I don't have any advice for flipping him...I can only send summersault vibes for you. :)

[Ravenna Angellin]

lol! Yeah, I still get prenatal appointments. We're now down to the once a week appoints. So I'll see my doc next week for manual rotation and an ultrasound if he hasn't flipped by then.

Right at the moment he's sitting sideways. I can feel his little head sitting on my left side, and then if I follow with my fingers I can feel his back and bum, too. I just hope he'll finish rotating to head down and stay that way... though with my luck he'll probably just spin right back up and stay breech.

One of my friends joked with me that it seems like I just gotta do things the hard way, don't I? lol. Yup, seems like it. With Aiden, my water broke and no labor. Induction sucks, let me tell you. With Finn, we had a normal labor, and then he came with the cord wrapped around his neck. That was fun, but not altogether too frightening as my doc stayed cool, calm, and was swift at correcting the problem before it became an issue... and now this little turkey wants to pretty much hit the ground running when he's born. *sighs* I'm doomed.

Aiden is a smart ass... Finn is possessed, I swear (either that or he occassionally channels el chupacabra or something) and Goddess help me, they both have red hair. If this one comes out another red head, I'm gonna go hide, LOL!! :rotfl: Their temperments definitely fit the hair color, both very firey, wild boys.

I wonder how this little guy is going to be?

Oh! And I think we finally settled on a name!! Dylan Edward. So far it's the only one that both of us like.

~ Ravenna

[Ceres]

Thats wonderful news - that he has turned transverse. It will make it that much easier for him to turn head down. You might want to call your doctor and ask if he/she wants to have you come in a try turning him while he is already halfway there.

[KaidaMidnight]

lol I totally did read it wrong! *smacks self in forehead* I was like. how unfair is that?? I had to go to the doctor every freakin week! LOL

Well, hopefully he'll be a good boy and turn the RIGHT way. Have you tried any of the things on the links that were given? I was curious to know if any of them work. :)

[Ravenna Angellin]

Yeah, we've tried the laying on an ironing board 3 times a day for 20 minutes. With the bag of frozen peas and a warm pack placed in strategic areas, lol. So far, he's only moved sideways, and then pops back up again. The kids think it's hilarious that Mommy lays upside down, and now Finn will try to stand on his head next to me... which is totally funny. He's such a goon.

Aiden just rolls his eyes at me and tells me I'm weird. *sighs* Smart-ass.

~ Ravenna

[KaidaMidnight]

LOL That's cute about Finn copying you.

[Ravenna Angellin]

Well, he stayed sideways this whole week, no matter how much upside down butt wiggling I did, he stayed.

This morning I went and the doc did her manual rotation... not pleasant, but not as bad as it could've been had she needed to do a full rotation, just a half turn. So now he's head down and mostly locked into position. Now to keep him there, lol.

So yay! All is well again and I have another appointment in a week to see how things are progressing. Fun times, fun times!

~ Ravenna

[Marcasite]

I'm glad to hear that he's been turned the right way! Now baby, you better stay there!

[wrenjamin]

Alright lil Dylan, you just hang there for the next few weeks and we're good! No more acrobats mister!

Your kids sound like a trip...:)

[Ceres]

I am glad to hear the version was successful! Thats half the battle; for the other half....duct tape? :lol:

[Ravenna Angellin]

Hrmmm... *wonders if duct tape would actually work...*

lol!

Now we just wait til he decides to make his appearance. As it stands, we're making a mad dash to hurry and keep the house in one pretty piece. With 2 boys, Lady knows that that is a battle in and of itself, haha!

~ Ravenna

[Ravenna Angellin]

It's about 4:30am here. I've been up since around 2am with contractions. Not sure if it's the real deal or not yet. I'm soooo abysmally ignorant on labor. I've tried changing positions while trying to get back to sleep, but so far no go on relief. I've just started timing them, too, as they seem to be fairly consistent.

With the last two, my water broke and that was when I knew it was time. Before that it had just been braxton hicks. I'm not sure if I want to call my doc's office yet or not. I hate calling people this early in the morning... even if I know they're awake.

Ugh. It's very painful. But I'm doing my best to stay relaxed, because if it is time, the last thing I need is to stall things by getting all worked up and stressed out. I'm also letting the rest of the family sleep for the moment. No sense waking anyone up if there's nothing to worry about.

But it's supremely BORING at 4 in the morning.

I looked up all the "signs of labor" and I can still walk and talk through them, so I guess that's why I'm hee hawing around wondering if this is the real deal or if I'm just being silly. I suppose we shall see.

Okay, I'm off to go surf the web some more to keep me entertained, lol.

~ Ravenna

[Ceres]

Yay! A birth day. It doesnt sound like you need to call anyone just yet, and honestly, the very best thing to allieviate your boredom and bring on your baby would be inviting your husband to give you a nice massage and then see where THAT leads. nod nod, wink wink. Really, I am not kidding......making out is a great way to make labour more effective. Do it now before you go to the hospital and feel inhibited.

[Ceres]

Any bloody show? Diarrhea? Do the contractions subside when you change your activity? ( a nice warm bath will often slow down braxton hicks) Where do you feel the contractions in your body?

[Ravenna Angellin]

No show, but then I didn't have any show with Finn until right before we delivered. I do have diarrhea, but that's been going on for a couple of days now. I went for a quick walk around with the dog a bit ago to see if maybe that would help, but nah, they're still there.

I'm going to try a bath in a little bit to see if that helps, but if I do it now, it'll wake the whole dang house up, darn noisy pipes, lol.

I feel the contractions as they creep in, but not the usual start in back work their way forward sort of deal. These ones start in front and work their way towards my back. Not a whole lot of back pain, but I do feel a bit of an ache in my back. Which is why I'm wondering if this is braxton hicks or not, lol. With the last two, the contractions started in back and worked their way forward across my belly.

I'm going to keep timing and call the doc in about a half hour if they're still coming though.

Ooooo! InuYasha is on Cartoon Network though... perhaps this shall keep me entertained for a bit, LOL!

~ Ravenna

[Ceres]

Whats the time between each contraction? It sounds like your two previous deliveries might have been posterior....was that mentioned? And this one isnt, which might mean a quicker delivery.

[Ravenna Angellin]

Roughly 15-20 minutes.

It's enough to keep me awake, too.

~ Ravenna

[Ceres]

oh man, that sucks! Just enough to keep you awake, but really not frequent enough to say you are definitely in labour. You need your hubby ;)

[Ravenna Angellin]

*sighs* So true, so true.

It's alright though, he gets up soon for work, and there will be just enough time for a little morning romp to keep me entertained, :rollingla

"Hey baybay... how's it hanging?" :rotfl::rollingla

Nothing like early labor signs to make a woman get all goofy weird.

~ Ravenna

[KaidaMidnight]

With this last one, I didn't have any back pain while contracting. *shrugs*

Hopefully they either start speeding up, or slow down, to give you some time to sleep! LOL Good Luck hun! :D :hugz: Yay... maybe we'll get a baby story here within a couple days!!!

[Ravenna Angellin]

Well, still having contractions roughly 20 minutes apart. I did go and talk with my doctor Friday morning. She says that this is probably "prodomal" (sp?) labor or otherwise early-stage latent labor. I could be like this for a few days. In fact, I did this for 6 days before I had Finn. Which as I recall supremely sucked.

She was really sympathetic and we both agreed that starting an induction to "speed it up" would suck on both our parts and wasn't really worth it, lol.

So she gave me a few tips on things that I can do and I've spent the weekend alternating between relaxing and staying active. I'll see her again tomorrow and we'll go from there. Fun times, fun times.

Her ideas were to take baths (unless my water breaks), get enough sleep, go on walks to help baby descend further, and perhaps try some raspberry leaf tea. She also teased me a bit and told me if I *really* wanted to, I could try a castor oil concoction. Hilarious. She knows me well. Because I won't go there unless it's needed, lol. Besides, my system is nice and cleaned out already, I don't need to exaggerate the problem, LOL!

So yeah, I'm still preggers, and still waiting.

~ Ravenna

[Brightshores]

Good luck!!! :hugz: Hope the little one comes soon so you don't have to go through this for days on end. :)

[KaidaMidnight]

O0O0O0O0 good luck! Hopefully soon!!! :D

[Ravenna Angellin]

As of yesterday, I am 4cm dilated and 70% effaced. How my water hasn't broken yet is beyond me, lol!

So yeah, my doctor says it could be any time now. Obviously the 20 minutes apart contractions are doing their job, but they need to start moving closer together now, lol. *sighs* At least I have an awesome friend who is a massage therapist coming to visit me today. I could use some good rubbins. She suggested reflexology actually, (foot rubbins) Oooooo! Yay me!

Okay so that's it for the moment!

~ Ravenna

[DreamSpell333]

As of yesterday, I am 4cm dilated and 70% effaced. How my water hasn't broken yet is beyond me, lol!

So yeah, my doctor says it could be any time now. Obviously the 20 minutes apart contractions are doing their job, but they need to start moving closer together now, lol. *sighs* At least I have an awesome friend who is a massage therapist coming to visit me today. I could use some good rubbins. She suggested reflexology actually, (foot rubbins) Oooooo! Yay me!

Okay so that's it for the moment!

~ Ravenna

Yay! soo soon. good luck !!! just think.. your almost halfway there!!

[RubyRose]

Good Luck! Hope it starts happening quickly.

[Prinsazz]

I really hope there is some good news coming soon

Good Luck and Healthy baby and mommy vibes to you!!

[KaidaMidnight]

Well, she hasn't been on in a couple of days.. maybe this is a good sign that a baby is here??? :D

[Ceres]

Well, she hasn't been on in a couple of days.. maybe this is a good sign that a baby is here??? :D

I think she must surely have had her baby by now! Cant wait to hear the details.

[Ravenna Angellin]

Nope. Baby is still a no show. We thought my water might have broken over the weekend, but alas, it was not so.

Still having contractions, and they are VERY SLOWLY moving closer together. Right now, they're 10 min. apart. For 2 days. *sighs* Stubborn little bug.

I decided to spend the weekend napping and tidying up my mini-nursery. So now, I'm ready for baby... just need the baby to come out!!

~ Ravenna

[Brigid Rowan]

LOL, sweetie, when this baby DOES decide to come, it's likely only gonna be three big contractions and a push. :)

Blessed be, dear one..may you and baby be well. I am excited for you!

[Ceres]

Nope. Baby is still a no show. We thought my water might have broken over the weekend, but alas, it was not so.

Still having contractions, and they are VERY SLOWLY moving closer together. Right now, they're 10 min. apart. For 2 days. *sighs* Stubborn little bug.

I decided to spend the weekend napping and tidying up my mini-nursery. So now, I'm ready for baby... just need the baby to come out!!

~ Ravenna

Well, look at the bright side - the baby is giving you time to shave your legs, pack your stuff and arrange childcare. Thats not much comfort in exchange for prodromal labour, though! Time to get hubby doing his part ;)

[Ravenna Angellin]

Well, look at the bright side - the baby is giving you time to shave your legs, pack your stuff and arrange childcare. Thats not much comfort in exchange for prodromal labour, though! Time to get hubby doing his part ;)

Oh, he's been doing his part, lol... but to no avail! It's tragic really. Plus I swear I've shaved my legs and pits at least twice already, ROFL!

On a lighter note, my doctor says that I'm amazingly good humored about the whole prolonged labor bit. She said that most of her patients in my position would be screaming for an induction by this point. She and I both agreed that it's not something that I'm willing to look at at this point. Been there with Aiden and it wasn't much fun. So what have I been doing? I found this lovely midwifery website that lists all these fun little "natural induction" methods and started reading to see if there might be something that I could try. So far, most of the methods are not something that I want to try.

I did however get my doctor to laugh her butt off with my commentary on one of the methods. First she begged me not to go for the castor oil technique because apparently once everything starts "moving" it's rather smelly in the delivery room, LOL! So then I told her about my fave method: "So yeah, at the moment the one that gets me giggling is a 30 minute cervical massage. Yeah, right. Like I'm gonna get some poor fool up in my hoo-haw rubbin my cervix for 1/2 an hour! Hey baby, wanna come rub my hoo-haw for me?!"

I swear her eyes almost fell out of her head and we just dissolved into hysterical laughter. I figure, I can't lube the baby out, so I might as well laugh the baby out. Sounds much more fun in my opinion.

In the meantime... I have raspberry leaf tea to sip.

~ Ravenna

[Brigid Rowan]

LOL...you are too funny.

Babies come when they come, hoo-haw massages aside. The only thing Ive ever seen a castor oil induction do is horrify the mother to be. Apparently the cramps and diarrhea are more than most bargin for. I was never miserable enough to the point in the last few weeks to add 'stomach cramps and diarrhea' to the list of symptoms I was wanting to try out. lol..

Sometimes Ive seen sleeping pills work, though. 10 of Ambien knocks mama out, and rests the uterus for a few hours. When she wakes, often times, labor restarts, but in a more coordinated way. It "resets" the labor pattern.

[KaidaMidnight]

and I thought AJ was being stubborn! Hopefully baby decides it's time to come out within the next day or so. And hopefully active labor goes by fast and easy for ya! :hugz:

[Amethyst Rose]

There must be a baby by now....it's been awfully quiet in here.....

[Khatt]

Eagerly awaiting news!!

[Ravenna Angellin]

No, no baby. But I will tell you all about my lovely experience that I had this week... needless to say, I'm still aggrivated by the whole thing.


So Tuesday was my latest OB appointment. I’ve been contracting for 3 weeks. I went in ultra unhappy and really sore from all these weeks of endless (needless in my opinion) pain. My doctor was at a delivery, so I wound up seeing the Midwife at the office. Lovely lady, I really like her. So she checks all my stats, and gives me an exam.

"Good lord! I can get you open to almost 8cm! Right now, you’re a 6, but you’re stretching! How have you NOT gone into labor yet?!" She tells me. This of course makes me start getting all weepy. Like I know why I haven’t gone into labor yet.

"Can’t you guys do anything? This is really starting to suck!" I tell her in a wobbly voice. So she goes off and calls my regular OB to see what could and should be done for me. When she comes back I’m told to get my butt immediately to the Birth Center, they were going to augment my contractions and get something moving.

So that’s what I do. I’m hooked up to the IV antibiotics for my GBS status and I’m told they are going to wait until the first round goes through before they decide whether they were going to break my water first, or give me the pitocin drip first. Okay. That’s fine. I’m relieved because there is an end in sight.

After a couple of hours they give me another exam... and I’m told that no, I’m only 4cm dilated. Then I can hear the next shift nurse getting irate in the hallway that I was told I would be augmented. Apparently, Valley Medical Center doesn’t do inductions or augmentations for labor. THEN the world’s worst OB comes on shift. Dr. Rice. The man works at the same Women’s clinic that I go to, and happens to be a collegue of my regular OB. I HATE this man. Twice now this man has discharged me sight unseen. And apparently he’s not happy that I’m back again, and from what I was hearing it was soooo inconvenient for him to take time out of his busy schedule to attend to me. Oh, how I HATE this man.

2 years ago, my best friend was pregnant. Dr. Rice was her OB. She recieved sub-standard care from him, was NOT told the signs of premature labor, and when she began having premature labor pains, she didn’t know. Her son died shortly after birth after they narrowly managed to keep my friend from hemorraging to death. She was 20 weeks pregnant. Now, tragedy happens, but this one could have been prevented in my eyes, and I’m sure Dr. Rice did what he could (*snorts*), but I don’t trust him with a *bleeping* stethoscope.

So this bastard winds up giving me ANOTHER exam. What the *bleep* are they looking for up there?! My GODDESS how many freaking exams do I honestly need?! Yeah, so he says I’m 5.5cm dilated, but my labor isn’t "active" enough for him to keep me there... time to go home.

My friends, I LOST it. I told everyone who was there to vacate the room and immediately dissolved into hysterics. There I was hooked up to the IV, to the machines, I’m having contractions, they aren’t very strong, but they’re regular and trying hard to pull themselves together... and I’m to go home. I haven’t slept a good night’s sleep in over 3 weeks, my body hurts, I’m stressed over my kids, I’m stressed because Steve’s working weird hours and then goes out to hang with his buddys after work... and there I am at home laboring, hurting, crying and trying to keep it together so I don’t lose my mind.

I cried like a freaking baby. I had my end in sight, and that clown *bleeping* ripped it right out from under me. Oh, and get this... they offered me a shot of morphine before I left to help me sleep. Riiiight. Morphine, nice one folks, lets give the hugely pregnant woman narcotics to make her feel better. *Bleeping* quack *bleep* doctor.

At this point, my bi-polar is starting to swing into a depressive state... which as many of us mother’s know is NOT a good thing. Especially if I’m expected to take care of this infant once it IS born. How can I do that if I’m depressed and feeling resentful? I won’t be able to.

Not too mention... if I keep going like this (endless contractions that lead to "not active enough labor to keep me") I’m going to be too exhausted to actually deliver the baby and that leaves me wide open for all kinds of complications. Yeah, Dr. Rice is under the impression that I’m retarded and don’t know what an induction entails. Sorry dill hole, but I’ve been there, done that already. I consider myself very well informed, and I understand CLEARLY the risks of several methods of labor intervention. I make it a point to learn about these things (I’m paranoid, so I like to learn). And yet he says no... if I get the pitocin for augmentation it would be dangerous and I’d probably have to have a C-section. Not necessarily. I know what my Bishop score is. It's a 9. A LOT of things could happen. That’s part of the process. At this point, I could wind up too tired and STILL wind up needing a C-section. Or the baby could wind up with shoulder dystocia and I’d need a c-section... or a prolapsed cord... or a thousand other mights and maybes could happen.

Ugh. So yeah, I’m royally pissed and very tired. And still pregnant. *sighs* Oh, and I found out that there really was no need on earth for me to have had that many exams... I had 6 exams by 5 different people... 4 of those exams were given in the last 2 hours before I was released. They made me bleed. I've had exams before, but no one has made me bleed. But no, I can't go back and get checked out because it's not "bright red" and they'll just send me back home. I haven't had a chance to talk to my regular OB yet, but when I do, I'm going to give her an earful about my experience.

~ Ravenna

[Brigid Rowan]

Yuck.

~hugs~

Im so so sorry you had such a frustrating, nasty time.

[Ceres]

UGH! What an awful experience. I hope your baby co-operates very soon!

[Amethyst Rose]

OMG that sucks! I"m so sorry this is being so difficult for you. I hope your regular OB will see the light and get things moving for you. One thing's for certain...once you do have the baby you'll be so relieved. :) Thinking of you....

[KaidaMidnight]

Ok, I looked for a "Here's Baby" Thread, but didn't see one.. Have we heard about a new baby yet? **crosses fingers** Hopefully there is a little one being cuddled!!!

[Ravenna Angellin]

Dylan Edward was born April 1st at 8:14pm Pacific time after a 3 hour pitocin induction.

He weighed 7lbs. 12 oz and is 20 inches long. He is soooo freaking cute!!

My doctor freaked on Tuesday during my prenatal appointment because I was dilated at 7cm and STILL was not in labor... so she started the induction herself rather than risk having another fiasco like last week.

We just got home today, and I am supremely tired, but very happy. There was an issue with threatened hemorraghing, but it wound up being not a big thing. Right now, the biggest issue Dylan and I have are getting him to latch on to the breast properly and getting my milk supply to come in. Other than that, we're doing great! Aiden and Finn love their new baby brother, and hopefully they'll continue to like him now that he's home with us, LOL!

You can see his pics online here (http://www.our365.com/NewbornPortraits/BabyDetail.aspx?birthid=0752af7f-8da8-44fb-91a7-42b25dcf3fb4)!

~ Ravenna

[Marcasite]

awwww he is adorable. Congratulations!!

[BlackLili]

SO CUTE!!!

Congratulations Ravenna!

[Brigid Rowan]

Awwwwwwwwwwww.....what a great story, and sooo glad you and he are safe and home!! He is a very cute boy, too! How are you feeling? If you need any BFing help, just holler or PM me, and I know Ceres, midwife to be and mistress of breastfeeding information ,will help too!!

And walking around at 7cm, THAT is amazing.

[Zephyrstorm]

Congrats, Ravenna! :D

[Amethyst Rose]

Yay! Congrats! I'm glad that he's finally here. :) Welcome to the world, Dylan!

[Ravenna Angellin]

Awwwwwwwwwwww.....what a great story, and sooo glad you and he are safe and home!! He is a very cute boy, too! How are you feeling? If you need any BFing help, just holler or PM me, and I know Ceres, midwife to be and mistress of breastfeeding information ,will help too!!

And walking around at 7cm, THAT is amazing.


Tell me about it! I couldn't believe I'd been walking around like that all this time. Craziness! At the moment, I am very tired, but I feel alright. The cramping is more painful this time around, but my doctor said that it is pretty common for the cramping to be a bit more intense the second and third time 'round.

Dylan and I are still working on the BF'ing, it's taking a lot of serious practice on our parts, lol. Mostly, I just have to pull him off, re-position him and hope his mouth opens a little wider to get a better latch. My milk is also just now starting to come in... I can feel my bubbies getting fuller this evening... so yay!

Though my main concern is the high probability of me and Dylan developing thrush because of the antibiotics I was given before the induction began (GBS +), and I'm really prone to getting those kinds of infections as it is. At least I know the signs, and I did get a chance to check in with the lactation consultant yesterday and today before we left about our BF'ing... though if I have any other problems you and Ceres are probably going to be getting lots of questions out of me!! lol.


Thanks everyone for the well wishes and compliments on Dylan (I'm rather biased and think he happens to be the cutest baby EVER!! :rotfl:)

~ Ravenna

[Brigid Rowan]

As far as the thrush goes, I always had great luck preventing it by taking a spoonful of plain old apple cider vinegar with each meal. It affects your pH a bit, and it seems to really work for some people.

I agree with you that the cramping "afterpains" got worse, too, as I had more kids. It is basically a laxer uterus having to work a bit harder to clamp down than it did after the first baby. Did they give you any pain meds? I would advise to stay on them around the clock for the first 2-3 days at home, then taper off as you feel better.

~HUGS~

[RubyRose]

He's adorable.

[DreamSpell333]

Congrats Ravenna!! He's soo cute! :hugz:

[Brightshores]

Congratulations!!!! :hugz: :boing:

[Prinsazz]

Congratulations and welcome to the world Baby Dylan!!!!

[Ceres]

At long last! I am so glad for you. And what a gorgoeus little baby!

[Morr]

I am so out of the loop with this whole no internet at home thing! Oy!!

CONGRATS TO YOU!!!

He is beautiful!!

Enjoy :)

[Khatt]

Congratulations!!! He's gorgeous. Welcome to the world little one!

[Ravenna Angellin]

Thank you everyone!! I'm so happy that Dylan is here.

He's really a wonderful baby, and as of yesterday is now 2 weeks old. Aiden and Finn are still loving him to pieces, and so far it's been really going well for us. I'm amazed at how much Dylan looks like his father (we compared newborn photos, it's really uncanny!) and compared to his older brothers, Dylan is a very "easy" baby. He hardly cries at all, except when he's got a messy diaper and I haven't noticed it fast enough for his tastes. He sleeps wonderfully for me (at night I get to sleep for 3 whole hour chunks!! oh joy!) and has several alert periods during the day in which he just takes in all the insanity of our family, lol.

When I get a chance, I'll post some new pics of him to show off. He really is a cutie!

~ Ravenna