I need to vent ladies so please just bear with me. OK I am so ready for this lovely baby to come out. I cannot sit at my desk anymore I am having cramps when my stomach is resting o nthe tops of my legs. The baby has dropped down so low I can hardly walk. Sleep is gone. THe Dr gave me a script for sleeping pills each for 10mg. He told me 1 pill every 4-6 nights to help me would be fine until delivery. Well I took it last night and it knocked me out.

My stomach is tighting up something awful today and I feel like my bum hole is going to jump right off by body it is cramping so much. I relaly want this baby to come out so pleas eladies send those delivery vibes my way please. I am only 4 weeks and 3 days from my due date so I can go now and she will be fine.

By Mrsclark on Tuesday, January 13, 2004 - 05:04 pm:

Oh, it has been 17 years but I remember that feeling! Vibes going to you -- come on little one, mommy wants to meet you! When I was pg with ds, I was so big someone told me that if I did not hurry and have him, he was going to just reach out his little hand and take me to the hospital himself! HA HA HA Very funny!

By Marg on Tuesday, January 13, 2004 - 05:31 pm:

I knew this was you when I saw the topic!

(((Tonya)))) I am thinking and praying for you!

By Nanaoie on Tuesday, January 13, 2004 - 05:36 pm:

I feel you pain mom to be....VIBES commin your way!

By Mrse on Tuesday, January 13, 2004 - 05:39 pm:

I remmeber thoses days. With my second dd, the doctor recommended that I take caster oil, ( I was just overdue) so I did. NOt sure I would do it again, as I started going to the bathroom, alot, so much that I kept going out to the car, and running back in, it was terrible, I was scared I was going to have the baby right at home,so we took, my oldest daughter's potti, and I sat on that all the way to the hospital, good thing I did, as it was filled by the time I got to the hospital. It threw me right into active labour, and it was a rushed delivery, so much that the nurse checked me, and said I had a while to go, and she got to the door way and I told dh to get her back it was coming, she was mad I was insistant but checked again, and sure eneough she was coming, my arm was hanging off the bed, and if it wasn't for my sister who, threw my arm up, it would have been broken, as they crashed me threw the door to the delivery room, she was born seconds later. ahhhhhhhh thoses were the days. Hang in their, Tonya enjoy it when you can, as when your all done with having babies like me, you kind of wish you were able to experience it all over again.{{ Hugs}} shouldn't be to long. ( lol not the castor oil part just the pregnancy/delivery)

By Vicki on Tuesday, January 13, 2004 - 06:43 pm:

Wow, a little over 4 weeks and your feeling this bad already!! I started feeling REALLY bad when I had about 2 weeks to go. I remember it because it was right after I went on maternity leave. LOL I remember thinking oh yea, I feel great while I am working and I finally get off and I feel like this! LOL I was due on the 5th and didn't deliver until the 13th, so I had even more time to be miserable!! It will go fast, just try to enjoy at least a little of it!!

By Eve on Tuesday, January 13, 2004 - 08:21 pm:

((hugs)), Tonya! I remember it well! Almost! Almost! Tell yourself, it will be here before you know it!

By Annie2 on Tuesday, January 13, 2004 - 08:24 pm:

Hang in there, Tonya. (((hugs))))
You're in the home stretch now!

By Bobbie on Tuesday, January 13, 2004 - 10:44 pm:

(((((TONYA)))))) this too shall pass...

By Mommyathome on Tuesday, January 13, 2004 - 10:55 pm:

(((Hugs))) You're almost there! Only a month to go Can't wait to here the birth story and see pictures of your new little sweetie!

By Feona on Wednesday, January 14, 2004 - 07:07 am:

Oh my. I feel you pain too. Almost done though.

By Arnion on Wednesday, January 14, 2004 - 06:58 pm:

Believe it or not, doctors might still want you to wait if you go into active labor right now. ;-( We all know the baby would be fine, but they prefer "full term". All doctors agree that 2 weeks early (or late) is considered full term, though. :-)

I gave birth to 5 in the hospitals and the last 2 at home. I certainly learned a lot, and there are a few (very few) things I'm absolutely sure of. One of those is that squatting, with your knees very far apart, will cause the baby to move downward to be positioned properly for the birth. Doing this even 2 or 3 times a day will help.

When you're a bit closer to your due date, you can even bear down (push) verrrrrry gently and evenly in a squatting position while having a contraction (cramp) to encourage dilation. Don't push hard or suddenly because that could damage your cervix.

Also, when you really can't stand being pregnant another second, you will give birth! LOL That's how it usually works, so be encouraged that you're fed up. :-)

I will be praying for you, and waiting to hear the exciting news!! :-)

God bless you!!! :-)

By Tonya on Wednesday, January 14, 2004 - 07:10 pm:

Thanks ladies for all of the encouragement. I need it. I talked to my Dr today and they are going to do an ultrasound on Monday (1/19) when I go in for my appointment and as long as the baby is measuring at least 36 1/2 - 37 weeks which I will be on that same Friday (1/23/)they are going to strip my membranes. He told me he will go along with delivery as long as the baby is at least 36 1/2 weeks in size. She has dropped even more in the last couple fo days I have a ton of room between belly and boobs. And she has stopped moving so much the pelvic pains and the bum pains are getting worse and I have been using the bathroom even more in the last 48 hours than usual. Maybe with this one I get lucky. To be honest I would love to actually go into labor with this oneinstead of them having to make it happen by inducing once I am late. It would be nice to experience it both ways.

By Newbabysarah on Wednesday, January 14, 2004 - 08:08 pm:

Man, I soooo remember what you're going through. I was put on bedrest for the last 4 weeks of my pregnancy because I was in so much pain. I was soooo miserable. (((((((Tonya)))))))

I hope this goes quickly for you.

By Melanie on Wednesday, January 14, 2004 - 09:47 pm:

(((HUGS))) I remember it well. Hang in there...

By Boxzgrl on Thursday, January 15, 2004 - 09:44 am:

Good Luck, I hope you have this baby early.
DD was 2 weeks early and a whopping 5 hours of labor. I hope the same goes for you. Cant wait to see you posting with a baby announcement...

By Lauram on Thursday, January 15, 2004 - 09:53 am:

Actually, I believe it is three weeks before the due date that is considered full term. That's what my first son was and that's what they called him. My second son was 4 weeks early- and was premature. He was ok except he couldn't ride in a carseat until he was term. He also had to be rehospitalized for severe jaundice at three days old. I had prelabor contractions for 2 months with him though (and went to the hospital 13 times!0 At 4 weeks,I was like let er rip! The drs said it was ok- 36 weekers do really well, BUT they also told me they were not willing to "help" me along. Good luck!

By Kittycat_26 on Thursday, January 15, 2004 - 10:31 am:

The age that OBs will take babies is probably as varied as there are patients. Some of it depends on the doctors but some of it also depends on the hospital where you will be delivering.

Our local hospital will send anything younger than 38 weeks to a hospital with a NICU. So even if your OB does agree to take the baby earlier, it must be proven by an amnio to be 38 weeks.

Most pediatricians are happy with any baby over 35 weeks. Betwen 34 and 35 weeks are when the baby learns to suck apparently.

No matter what, when, where or how...... a healthy baby is all we're looking for. Hang in there.

By Dawnk777 on Thursday, January 15, 2004 - 02:41 pm:

My babies didn't follow the rules. Sarah was born at 36 weeks and a day and never saw the NICU. No one ever told me she couldn't be in a carseat. She weighed 6 pounds, 6 ounces at birth and on the day of discharge, weighed 5 pounds 9 ounces. So, she was 6 days short of being full-term. They had that she was premature in her chart.

Emily was born at 38 weeks and was in the NICU just overnight for observation! Both came home with me 4 days later after a c-section. She was 8 pounds, 1 ounce, so the carseat thing wouldn't have been an issue.

By Kittycat_26 on Thursday, January 15, 2004 - 03:01 pm:

I never heard of the car seat rule. Timmy was just over 4 pounds when we brought him home at 5 days old and he rode for the 2 hour drive home in the car seat. The next day he was at the doctor's again in the carseat.

By Lauram on Thursday, January 15, 2004 - 04:17 pm:

In CT if babies are born prematurely, they have to pass a car seat test. They are hooked up for 1 hr to a heart monitor and a breathing monitor while sitting in the seat. As I mentioned, my second son was 36 weeks (and 2 days). He was 7 pounds 8 ounces. Because of this, he was considered premature and had to take the test. First they checked our car seat (from our first son) and that flunked because it was too old. My dh had to run to Toys R us to get a new one before he could be tested and we could be discharged. He FLUNKED the car seat test after 10 minutes because he stopped breathing. I thank God every day for that test. If he had stopped breathing in my car on the way home, I never would have known. You can't even see the baby when it is rear- facing! I know of people who have had babies die this way. I never knew about it before this happened to us though.

By Boxzgrl on Thursday, January 15, 2004 - 04:55 pm:

So, what is the carseat test? To see if the baby can breathe properly in one?

By Dawnk777 on Thursday, January 15, 2004 - 08:13 pm:

Nobody did that test with my baby 14 years ago!

By Bobbie on Thursday, January 15, 2004 - 08:38 pm:

My girls were born a month and a half early. Emily weighed 5 pounds 1 ounce at brith discharged at 4 pounds 11 ounces. Katie weighed 5 pounds 11 ounces discharged at 5 pounds 8 ounces. Our hospital doesn't have a NICU and the girls didn't need one. They both scored very high on their test and were in my room the day I had them up until the day I took them home five days later. Other than being small they needed no special treatments. So all babies are different.

By Arnion on Friday, January 16, 2004 - 04:19 am:

My 1st daughter was born 2½ months early and was 3 lbs. 2 oz. Of course, she lost a little weight at first and went down to 2 lbs. 14 oz. She had to stay in an incubator for 1½ months. ;-( They said I couldn't take her home until she was 5 lbs., but I talked them out of a few ounces by insessantly begging. :-) By the way, she was fine and perfect in every way! I am very thankful!!

It sounds like approximately 5 pounds is still the deciding factor.

By Kittycat_26 on Friday, January 16, 2004 - 07:22 am:

Melissa, The car seat test is just what you thought. I don't know if it is done on every baby but I know that it is done in order to leave NICU's here in MD. A baby must be able to sit in the car seat, properly restrained, for the amount of time it will take for you to drive the baby home. For us that meant 2 hours. For the baby in the next bed, it was 3 1/2 hours.

Timmy was born at 34 weeks 6 days. For all intents and purposes he was fine; however, he came out blue with an APGAR of 1. I look back at his delivery now and I can sort of see it as an outsider and it must have been a funny scene.

I showed up at the hospital thinking I had heartburn and this started a 6 day stay in the hospital. I was transported two hours away by ambulance with my mom, husband and sister following behind in their car. They stayed by my side for four days until I delivered Timmy. No showers, no toothbrushed, and sleeping on the floor in the waiting room but they were there.

I was diagnosed with HELLP syndrome. My platelets were too low to have an epidural which was something that I was counting on. I was not allowed to eat anything in case I had to go for an emergency c-section. A central line was put in because my veins were so bad and they were afraid that if I started to bleed that they wouldn't get me transfused fast enough to save me. I was induced in every thinkable way including have a catheter inserted into my uterus, inflating it to the equivilant of 4cm and then hanging in off the edge of the bed with 1l of saline in it to use as traction. AFter that one, I got drugs.

They think the drugs are what caused Timmy to come out with his respiratory system suppressed. It's all a blur to me and I only remember bits and pieces. But I do remember that though my husband and mom were both there that without my mom I couldn't have done it. She knew when and what was happening and when and how it was okay to let my emotions out. I cursed one time and I can remember her telling me very directly that she would tolerate a grouchy pregnant woman but she would not tolerate a foul-mouthed pregnant woman. Guess I got the hint.

Gee.......you all got more than I bargained for on this one. And all this to explain the car seat test. Sorry!

By Kittycat_26 on Friday, January 16, 2004 - 07:26 am:

Geez......I forgot to tell you why it was so funny now. My birthing classes started the day after timmy was born. My breastfeeding classes started the day before he was born. Also, the day I was admitted and transferred was the day of my surprise baby shower which is why my sister was home. Talk about messing up plans.

By Dawnk777 on Friday, January 16, 2004 - 07:45 am:

I was there for a few of the birthing classes, but since Sarah was early, I ended up taking her to the last one! It happened for the refreher class, too. I only took one and then Emily was born.

By Kittycat_26 on Friday, January 16, 2004 - 09:05 am:

Now I dont' feel so bad. One nurse at the hospital just looked at me when I told her that I didn't have a bag packed and that I hadn't had any classes especially since it was my first.

Mom took charge though and before I fell to pieces told me that nature would help and so would she. We'd figure it out together.