Dilly

Not long now, Hazey!!! I do want to see a pic or two. My baby is getting hard... I mean her little heel bone is really getting nice and firm and I can really tell what orientation she is in now, fortunately head down. Sometimes, I can rub her foot and she will push harder on my stomach. I think she must like the attention. As for your hands, do your feet swell too? Are they visibly swollen? You always hear about swelling LATE in pregnancy. Did you have any swelling before now?

Yeah, what hazey said!

link removed The presense of spotting doesn't indicate you are pregnant, but it MAY be a sign that implantation has occurred. Many people overanalyze implantation bleeding when really it can indicate that it has occurred, but due to other causes of bleeding (spotting, red/brown blood), ect, there really are no strong conclusions that can be drawn from it. It usually occurs 7-10 days after ovulation. See the link above for more information.

Great news!!! Keep coming on board and posting - it's amazing what you can glean from this site...

stuffed nose and rapid heartbeat AND extreme irritability. I had these prior to my first missed period. THEN, I got the food aversions and nausea. But on the upswing, my libido was in hypermode - excellent.

That's good to know. I just sometimes wonder ... would you believe I know more women that "could not" breastfeed than those who could?! As for the head being engaged, Hazey, have you had any appt.s with the midwife to confirm? Is the baby moving as much now that it has dropped? And how have you felt?

HAHAHAHA - I fit into most, but not all. The only reason some of them aren't working out for me is that I've gained weight in my back and my girth is greater.

I was reading about hydramnios and oligohydramnios and I just wonder what causes too little amniotic fluid, other than a rupture in the membranes. I'm sorry, Choco! I am excited for you also, though. YOu sound like you are very happy to have the opportunity again and since the doctors know of the complicated first pregnancy, they will likely monitor you much more closely and be able to assess your progress and look out for issues more than they were able the first time. Congratulations!!!

Kinda what I have in mind. I want to have a natural childbirth in the sense that I aspire to do so without meds, BUT... if I'm in excrutiating pain at 6 or 7 cm, I'm going for the epidural. Also, if, like BTR, I don't progress in dilating, I imagine I will consider the need more closely. I think it's healthy to keep options open. There are best-case scenarios and then, there's reality. Sometimes, the two overlap. But when they don't, it's not a big deal. Same thing with breastfeeding. I am going to give the effort my absolute all. Off-topic, I frankly have not been busting out of my bra (so I hope I will be able to breastfeed - not a small size, but a C, just haven't noticed a tremendous amount of growth - still wearing the same bra, but filling it up quite a bit and definitely have cleavage now) - I think all I have is some extra chub and some blue veins that are feeding the flesh more than before. I even have the blue veins in my abdomen coming in from the sides. They are NOT varicose veins, not at all, but just my vascularity becoming more obvious as the baby's needs grow.

Wow, I think I'm going to get some today.

HAHAHA... yeah, a couple times a week doesn't seem like a lot to ask. I read somewhere today that in order to eat more than 12 oz. of fish, you might consider that three meals. In the study cited above, the subjects were eating 12 oz fish or more per week. A fine balance. I am going to start supplementing now so that baby can be smart and have good vision. The 2004 FDA warning about high mercury levels was deemed by some to be deletarious to the public. But I'm not sure what to think now. I think like everyone says, it's all about balance.

Thanks Bella and Ash. I also just read that Optinate, an extension line from Prenate Elite has Omega 3s in it... another way to supplement.

Do you think it's worthwhile to take these? Read the following article and ponder the benefits of a brighter baby. I will ask my doc this Friday. link removed

Is the baby kicking, poking, thumping, bumping you around yet? I think once you feel the quickening, you may start down the road to discovery of how your life might be changed by all this. Don't worry yourself - you are very normal, but I agree with everyone else - you will find yourself embracing this aspect of your life when you get further along and the feelings and your questioning of them will change.

This almost sounds like a joke - ru really serious and sincere when you ask for corroboration of your feelings?

I'm so happy you're going out with an old friend for bowling and dinner tonight. That sounds really positive and constructive. It's nice your calendar is filled to get you through this.

I read last night that once lightening occurs, you might expect your baby in the next two weeks.... HORRAY!!!! I'm so riddled with goosebumps after reading this!!!

Yay, I'm so glad you got clarity on this situation. NOW, you can relax and draw your own boundaries where you deem them reasonable. I think you are in great shape to research that with all that's going on. I'm glad you have that behind you!!! YAYAYAYAYA!

WOW!! CONGRATULATIONS! I'm so happy for you!!! You are entirely fotunate to have only gained fifteen pounds - You have one of the most amazing tummies I've ever seen preggo so worry not!!! You are beautiful - I'm sure hubby tells you so, too!!! That heart rate is amazing. I read somewhere that a high HR could correlate to a girl and a low one, a boy ... but as the pregnancy progresses, the HR tends to merge between sexes. Mine is usually 160-170. Not terrible, normal I'm told. As for the woman's intuition, my ultrasound specialist told me there was a study in which women predicted the sex of their unborn at a 90% success rate. I wish I knew the source because I find that fascinating. I new I was having a girl, I just knew. How in this world did you know the position of your cervix, through a pelvic exam? That's interesting. Also, it's interesting baby is head down right now... mine is too, but she routinely keeps her feet either above teh belly button or under my right rib cage. She's not as active as she was early, but I feel her much more. I don't get organ kicks that make me stop in my tracks, but I get some that make me feel sorta gross. Mine too - I don't understand that. I actually like them better a bit smaller, but hey, maybe they'll go back... yes, for me also, the bedroom festivities were better until recently. I just feel too big to enjoy it.

I would think it would be handy, too! HOWEVER, I would recommend doing something NICE for her also (a long foot massage, body message, dinner). A scavenger hunt for a getaway (you could put notes in and around her house with clues). My ex- did this for me and I loved every minute of it.

Agree completely.... it's a shame that it's dismissed so abruptly, this topic.

YOu know, all I have to say is --- be very very happy that your husband is supportive of you. It's very easy for hubby's and partners to be extremely wilted by this kind of verbal whipping they get from family. I think it's great that you and he and able to present a united front. THAT makes all the difference, that along with the fact that YOUR own parents are in town. NICE, very NICE!

Very humorous!! I love your posts Hazey!!!

HAHA!!! True!

I never knew. I figured most of the blood would come out the day of the delivery, but not days thereafter. OH gosh, this does sounds rather messy. With a C-section, do you bleed as much as a vaginal birth?