Beautiful Babies Due in 2011 (Combined Group)

[DandMe]

AFM: I had a huge meltdown yesterday... I know how silly this might sound but here's what happened:

The baby had a really, really active day. Literally, she was up from 2am to 8pm with only some short 5-10 minute rest periods. The more she kicked, the more I was aware of her. I started thinking about taking care of her and started feeling really inadequate. The world also seemed really scary... I was thinking about drugs, AIDS, cancer and other horrible things that I was afraid that I could not protect her from. I cried on and off all day.

I'm feeling better today. I've bounced back and she's back to her normal self. I guess we just had a bad day.

I went through a huge reality check at about 16 weeks... when I really started to feel kicks and bumps... My husband works on the oil pipelines and is gone for... most likely about 5 - 6 months out of the year. I own a very, very busy promotional/embroidery shop with nine employees and my life has been centred around my work, which I've loved (nothing better to do!). It's also helped with him being away (we want to retire early) and to get through the IVF journey/miscarriages.

Feeling the baby moving and realizing that he will ACTUALLY be here and need me to care for him EVERY MINUTE ... shocked me and freaked me out. I feel I'm going to be torn between a very profitable, enjoyable career, where a LOT of people depend on me, including my two daughter in laws and son for their livelihoods, and our baby, which I will be raising alone for at least some of the early years. I was literally sobbing for a couple of hours. It didn't help that my (much older and career stay at home mom) sister keeps telling me that there's no way I will be able to work once the baby comes. She made me feel that I would be a bad mother if I got a nanny, or that my mothering instincts would be so deep that I will refuse to get childcare and just abandon my business.

The truth is, I'm the boss. I can do what I want, including putting in a small nursery in our new location (opening in September), and hiring a nanny/housekeeper for 6 hours a day so I can still run my business and then come home to a clean house and be a wife and mother the rest of the day. The truth is, I can come and go as I please, and in my heart and mind, the financial success of my business is one of the things that will allow us to retire early and BOTH of us spend all our time with this child.... AND help my older kids keep advancing in life.

It took some time before I was okay. I think the reality of actually having a baby is really something for so many of us who have gotten used to TRYING to have a baby.

[lou71]

SD -- I don't have much of an appetite. I do get hungry, and when I do, I really need food, but a small amount does it. Do you have any morning sickness? I've had a bit on and off, but it's not slowing me down or anything. Monday was the worst, but it's gotten better since then. I was on Estrace just for a few days after my 2nd beta. I am taking PIO 50mg until week 10.

Happy Bunny -- I'm sure your melt down was normal. I'm still waiting for mine...lol. You can do this!!! I just tell myself, people much dumber, younger, and ill equipt have done this before so why can't I?

Sonya--That's awesome that you own your own business and can come and go as you wish or have a nursery in your business! So lucky. I don't know how we will work out child care between the two of us. I think we'll have to use day care or a nanny.

mellow -- Two girls...lol... that will be loads of fun when they both reach puberty together!!!!!

baby-blu -- Glad you found us over here!

Gina -- Nice belly!!! Love the pic.

AFM -- I wish I could enjoy being pregnant but I'm still just so worried about losing this one too. I am sure I'll feel better after week 12, but it seems so far away. Since I feel so good, I'm even questioning if I'm still pregnant...lol.... I mean, it didn't fall out or anything, but I don't feel anything either. I don't look different yet but I did notice a few pairs of pants seem a bit tight all of a sudden. Hmmmm.... when did you all start needing a larger size clothes?

[riogirl71]

Love this post!

SD - if you had high sugars I would suggest going on a semi diabetic diet and eat every couple of hours, it might help with the uncontrollable hunger, nuts and cheese and things like that. I would love to go eat like a truck driver right now, argh! But I am being good and doing my diet to keep bean healthy. I did progesterone for 10 weeks too. Gave you a baby blinkie!!!

Sonya - congrats on a baby boy I must have missed that one, sorry! Boys are awesome!

Karin - congrats on twin boys!!! you will have your hands full!

Lou - I felt the same way and I think we all do here! Try and enjoy your pregnancy, after the nuchal and level II I think it is easier to relax a bit more. There is always a milestone we want to reach, heartbeat, 12 weeks, nuchal, level II, then 28 weeks, then 36 weeks, 38 weeks... then we worry about our babies it is so early and you probably won't feel too much. I had OHSS so I was huge already early.

Sonya - I would bring my baby to the office and he would sleep when he was young, my boss is awesome. Once they get moving it was no longer an option cause he was bored. We found a fabulous daycare that is more like a school and he has thrived with other kids and learning, I really liked that better than a nanny. You will be fine!!!!

Happy Bunny - totally normal to worry about your baby's future, means you care!

Mellow - 2 girls - wowza just wait until they are teenagers!

I highly suggest renting IN THE WOMB from National Geographic, awesome to see the baby's development in computer generated images and 4D US!

[baby_blu73]

Lou - I can totally relate. I had four weeks between my last RE visit and my first OB appt. I POAS a couple times a week! Just to make sure I was still preggers!

Rio - DH and I caught the last half of a special about multiples in the womb on that channel. We loved it! He kept asking how they the got the camera in there!

Sonya - I'm glad you have a plan for what works for you. I think some women are so satisfied with what works for them, that they feel like they've found the "solution" to being a mom. When it's really just THEY'RE solution. I know that no matter what any of us decide, we're all going to be fabulous mommies that knock motherhood outta the ballpark!!!

Mellow - What do the girls bring the mellow household boy/girl count to?

Happy Bunny - Awe! The joys of rollercoaster hormones! All we can do is hang on and enjoy the ride. Before you know it, your beautiful little girl will be in your arms and everything in both of your worlds will be absolutely perfect.

[gina55]

Well I went to my OB today, they put me on a monitor and I was contracting every 5 minutes. Sent me to Labor and Delivery to be monitored and to give me meds to stop the contractions. They seem to be working. I'm lying here bored out of my mind. I am officially on bed rest and out of work until the babies arrive. The doctor at L&D told me I have a short torso(as if I didn't know) and that my uterus thinks it's 9 months along. My cervix has shortened some as well but its still good. Okay, enough ranting. I guess I better find a few hobbies until the boys arrive.
I hope everyone has a great weekend

[HopeIsAllIHave]

Hi there, wonderful prego ladies!

I guess I can officially join this board now, if you'll have me .

We just got home from our ultrasound even though it was scheduled at 10:30, but we've been out gallivanting and celebrating because we have a bun in the oven!! We were lucky enough to even see a beautiful heartbeat flicker! RE said it was too early to measure, but she thinks it was around 90bpm, which she says is right on target at this time. As soon as she mentioned she saw a gestational sac, my immediate question was "in the right place?" lol. SOOO happy! DH and I went to our favorite restaurant (thai) to celebrate and then Borders afterwards so I could get my first "pregnancy journal." Oh, we are just thrilled!!

[rebeccajm]

I would love to join this thread...I think I'm finally ready. I cycled with some of you last summer during my first unsuccessful IVF attempt and found the support to be amazing. We went through our second IVF in January and received a BFP! On February 7, we had our first us and saw 2 sacs. We returned on February 14 for another us and heard 2 heartbeats (130 and 118)...just what I wanted for Valentine's Day. I had another us on February 21 and both heartbeats were 157. I return for another us on this coming Monday then on March 2 I have my final appointment with my RE and my first appointment with my OB. My DH and I are thrilled although I still don't feel like I am really pregnant. Guess it hasn't sunk in yet. I look forward to getting to know all of you on this exciting journey.

[Happy Bunny]

Lou: I couldn't button my jeans after 12 weeks. Don't make yourself wait, maternity pants are comfortable and stylish. You'll kick yourself for making yourself suffer in regular pants once you feel how comfortable you could have been.

Gina: How scary! How frequently will your doctor monitor you?

Hope: Congrats! You must feel so reassured.

Rebecca: Welcome!

[DandMe]

My son's girlfriend, who is 23 this summer, and has been with my son for over three years... AND who has worked with me for the same amount of time (actually made her a jr. partner in my company)... AND who is pretty much my closest female friend...

Wants to be in the delivery room with me and my husband. We're a very open and liberal family without any real secrets.... we vacation together, Sunday dinners, and work together 5 days a week and well... I don't think we've ever had an argument. I'm really super close to her and she and my son are planning on getting married and having kids themselves.

I would love to share this experience with her - my older sister is insisting that it will make her not want to have babies after she sees what I will go through. She thinks it might emotionally scare her out of wanting a family. I don't think this young woman is like that... she's been totally supportive and endlessly curious about my pregnancy (and many, many losses before) and I want to share this amazing event with her.

Do you think it's wrong? My husband and son are fine with it and it seems to be as natural as if it were me being there for her.

[mellow4]

Sonya~ I don't think it's something you need to worry about. She is a grown woman, and if she is comfortable and you are...then by all means let her join in on the fun! I think it's awesome that you feel okay with it, that will be a wonderful thing to share with your future daughter in law. Have fun with it.

[karenthescorpio]

Hi ladies. It is so exciting to see everyone's gender announcements! I can't believe so many of us are already at this stage. It's so amazing and exciting!

So I had my cervical length check via u/s and all looks great. Baby looks great too! All is on track thank goodness. The tech couldn't get a great view of the "privates" so she wasn't confident in saying the gender, but she said she didn't see a penis either. UGH. Anywho, this is a sore subject in my house anyway between DH and I.

DH doesn't want to know the sex before delivery b/c he feels it is bad karma and one of life's last real surprises. After we lost our twins last July we are both so worried...and feeling like we are walking a tight rope at 30,000 feet on a windy day. Even though I know in my heart that all will be ok and baby will be coming home with us! I was surprised how upset and aggitated he got when I brought up the subject last night. I understand he is terrified of something happening. I am too. However, I really need the bonding experience to make this seem more real...and quite frankly, the distraction of being able to plan and focus on picking stuff out to get me through the next 4 months. In the end DH said my karma and good feelings were more important since the baby is in me and he's worried that I'll bring negative feelings to the baby if I can't do things how I feel I need to. So he agreed to find out at our next u/s in two weeks, which is our anatomy/level 2 scan. However, now I just have the heavy nagging feeling about him being disappointed...like I'm taking away something super important to him. So now I feel kind of deflated about wanting to find out. I guess I'm just disappointed we aren't on the same page, even though I respect how he feels and understand it. Oh, the challenges of marriage. I must say, I'm so fortunate...we rarely ever bump heads. So I guess I'm just gonna wait to see how I feel before our next u/s. I just feel so blessed to have a healthy baby growing...that we even have anything to bicker about!

xoxo
Karen

[Karian]

I'm loving this board!..... it's so active!!!

Sonya: I was in the delivery room with my best friend at a birth center. She was planning a water birth, but the baby was not coming so they moved her to the bed. It was extremely impressive to see "everything", However, the moment that baby came out I felt overwhelmed with joy and forgot what I had just seen. I will be for ever grateful to my friend to let me be in there with her and witness the miracle of life. I thought it was an incredible experience.... and now I can't wait to do it myself!.

Karen: Maybe he will change his mind or maybe you will. Don't feel guilty for wanting to find out....

Rebecca and HopeIsAllIHave: Welcome!!!!

Gina55: What about puzzles?

Lou: I changed the pants as soon as they started feeling tight.... around 9-10 weeks. I couldn't stand being uncomfortable.... right now it's all about being comfy and making sure the little bean is too!

Mellow and Klinger: Congrats on the girls!....

Sorry if I missed anyone.....

AFM: Trying to get use to this growing belly!. I've been feeling a little more tired lately, still a little nauseous but hopefully it will pass soon. I'm just so happy the first trimester is almost over! I can't wait to feel the baby... when did you started feeling the baby?

[rypell1985]

I'm loving the new combined board! Since I am actually on a real computer for once, and not my iPhone....I thought I'd add my latest bump pic! Here it is at 14.5 weeks.

[lou71]

Ryann- you look adorable! How have you been feeling? Any more morning sickness?

[rypell1985]

Oh Lou it's non-stop!!!! I wish I could just gain some weight for these little buggers but it just isn't working!!! Since getting out of the hospital i have been taking the zofran as needed, but I still can't really stomach food-sometimes I even throw up the zofran!!! At least I have some energy back now though! As long as I know my babies are growing I'll deal with whatever! How are you feeling??