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Yeah, I was fine with the long hair (well, cut it a little shorter, but not much) through my first pregnancy, it was no problem my second-- but this time, I'm just so tired ALL the time. (Part of that is the medication.) I just haven't had the energy, and I'm shedding more and my hair was more tangly (which did NOT happen with the girls, but this time it started as soon as I got pregnant) and my hair was just in knots. I couldn't take it. It was making me feel even more sick and tired and I didn't want to go out because my hair looked so bad and it was so much work to make it look good.
Now it takes two minutes to make it look good. Yay! I can go out again!
Posts: 137 | Registered: May 2005
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Congrats on the new 'do ketchupqueen. I'm considering it -- John has gotten into a hair pulling phase, and somehow even when I put it up in ways I used to like it never seems to look tidy. I didn't start growing it out until after high school, so it's not a case of wanting to grow out of my teenage look, but it has been almost 18 years since I've worn it short. I think it's the idea of having to keep getting it cut that's stopping me.
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Nathaniel's bilirubin levels were rising again, so they decided to keep him another day or 2 and put him back under the lights. So he's still not home yet , but it's nothing serious .
KQ, I still have essentially the same haircut/ hairstyle as I had in high school, and I'm quite a bit older than you. Of course, mine is shortish and pretty easy to take care of...which may explain why I've kept it this way for so long...
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Liz - congratulations on your new little guy!! I'm sorry he had to come early, but I'm so excited he'll get to come home soon!!! I hope breastfeeding will get easier and that you and he will continue to get stronger and healthier!!
kq - yay for new hair!! I love having short hair (I haven't had it longer than my shoulders in probably about 15 years) because of how easy it is. I can't wait to see pictures!!
I'm hoping for good news from my doctor today! I'm getting really impatient! I'm fairly certain she has dropped (how far, I'm not sure, but she really feels and looks lower) and I'm hoping that all the Braxton-Hicks I've been having have helped her move down and my cervix to continue to dilate. Hurry up little baby! Posts: 5879 | Registered: Apr 2001
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Congratulations, Liz! I'm sorry you have to be there an extra couple of days, but for 6 weeks early, that's still good.
Having this baby still feels like an eternity away. I'm just over 17 weeks, not even to the halfway point, and I'm already so eager to have this baby! I didn't have this feeling until my third trimester with my son and I thought this time the waiting would be easier...now here I am barely in my second trimester and I want to be DONE! Am I nuts?
I bought some clothes for my book signing next weekend. I did end up having to go with a skirt...there just wasn't any choice. I was putting on XL pants (pre-pregnancy I'm a 10-12, btw) and they were still hugging my thighs while the belly area was a TENT. I thought those things were supposed to be stretchy or having draw strings. Well, technically they did have elastic but the smallest position was about three feet from my belly. I probably won't be that big in my ninth month!
So, after trying on every pair of pants in the store, I went with a skirt...large, not XL like the pants I was trying on so that didn't hurt my feelings. Might be a bit drafty but at least they fit. Posts: 2392 | Registered: Sep 2005
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Liz, he's little enough that they may be keeping him for more than just bili levels. However, if that is all they're keeping him for, you may want to ask about the possibility of having bili lights at home. I had that with my oldest (who is now almost 14), and it was much better than having to take her back to the hospital. (And it ends up being much cheaper than extra days in the hospital too.)
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Christine, my doctor said that is one of the differences with a second pregnancy -- the first time around everything is new and exciting and the second time most moms are just "pregnant, okay, great, get this kid here already."
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I've been having hair problems ever since my first pregnancy, too. I used to have really long, really thick, glorious (at least to me) golden locks. After Mini-Bee was born, I lost handfuls of hair, developed yucky flyaways and my hair felt weak. Added to all that, my husband told me the first week of our marriage that he didn't like my "golden locks" strangling him in the night, and would I please tie back my hair in bed. Just recently, after I've been ponytailing and/or braiding it for several years, my husband made a comment about how my hair looks kind of...off. I growled at him that it could be because it gets pulled out of my head and broken by ponytail holders! In short, he agreed that it would be better for my hair if I just tied a handkerchief around my head at night instead of tying it all back. I'm hoping it will get stronger with time, and I'll be able to reduce the flyaways. They tickle my face! I just couldn't bring myself to cut it all off short.
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I'm actually finding that I'm more patient this time around. Probably because my days are passing more quickly with a busy toddler than with a computer monitor and a writing job I disliked.
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Weirdly, I haven't lost gobs of hair - my hair is as freakishly thick as it has always been. It's only been three weeks, though, I guess. Maybe it's still coming.
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quote:Originally posted by dkw: Christine, my doctor said that is one of the differences with a second pregnancy -- the first time around everything is new and exciting and the second time most moms are just "pregnant, okay, great, get this kid here already."
Nice to know I'm not alone!
I think partly, I've been eager ever since I had my son to kind of fill in our family, if that makes any sense. I never intended to have an only child and the house just seems so quiet with the two of us. My son plays easily by himself for long stretches of time and sometimes I wonder if that's not normal and if I've done it to him by not being energetic enough or something. I'm not entirely sure what a second child will do to help, but at least my days will be busier and hopefully a little more lively. Posts: 2392 | Registered: Sep 2005
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I don't want to cut my hair at least for a few more years because I have such fond memories of my mother's beautiful long hair when I was very young. I want my daughter to see me like that. That's not my only reason, as I've been growing my hair for several years now already, but it makes me a lot less likely to cut it for some time.
Posts: 2880 | Registered: Jun 2004
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Katarain, that was kind of my thinking too, for a while-- I wanted my kids to see how pretty and fun long hair can be. And part of it was that having long hair was a rebellion against my mom, who had it short all my childhood (she has hair like mine) and always kept mine short until I was in 5th grade and insisted on growing it long.
Now I realize why she had it short when we were little. And since my mom is now growing hers out for the first time in about 45 years, and my sister still has long hair, I figure they will love me anyway.
quote:I'm not entirely sure what a second child will do to help, but at least my days will be busier and hopefully a little more lively.
You want to be careful saying things like that...
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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Congratulations, Liz! I'm glad things are going so well considering he came early. When was your due date? It must be pretty close to mine because I'm at 33 weeks 4 days today. Crazy! I'm no where near ready for this baby to be here!
Posts: 1635 | Registered: Aug 2002
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While I've made a little progress, it's not a lot. It's hard not to be disappointed. She has indeed dropped down a little (a week ago she was still floating, today she's between -3 and -2) and I've dilated a little bit more (I'm about 1.5 cm), but it wasn't as much progress as I'd hoped for. Oh well, they're setting up an appointment for me at the hospital on Friday to start Cervidil if things haven't gotten started on their own. He's guessing she's about 8 lbs (give or take half a pound) and he doesn't want me to have to go too much longer (I don't want to have to too much longer either). So, I should have our little girl by this weekend either way. Posts: 5879 | Registered: Apr 2001
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ludosti, are there statistics on Cervadil vs. pitocin induction? I was under the impression pitocin was more effective and that if she's at -3, you're having lots of Braxton Hicks, and you're 1.5 cm, you're about where I was when I was induced with Bridey (pitocin only.)
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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They usually start with Cervidil (it acts as a cervical ripening agent) before moving to Pitocin. As my doctor explained it, sometimes the Cervidil itself is enough to start you into labor, but if not, it does a better job of preparing your cervix than the Pitocin does (which is why they use it first).
I ended up having to go to the hospital last night to get checked out because I started bleeding (not spotting but not hemorrhaging). The baby is doing fine and I don't have any placental issues (no contraction or anything and my cervix hadn't massively dilated or anything), so most likely it was a weird consequence of my exam yesterday (though I've never even spotted at all during the pregnancy, which is why I was concerned). It seems to only have lasted a few hours and hasn't kicked up again today, so we're still playing the waiting game.
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I know several women who have had that happen right before they pass the mucus plug. So, you never know...
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That's one thing I thought about when it first started, but I was startled by the amount (and that it lasted for about 4 hours). The nurse last night that checked my cervix said I still seem to be about 1 cm, but here's hoping that'll change. Posts: 5879 | Registered: Apr 2001
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Yeah, in the women I was thinking of, they went in for a check, had bleeding like a light to medium period for a few hours, then 24 to 48 hours later lost the mucus plug. One then went into labor, the other had to be induced, I don't remember what happened with the last one. But there's a chance...
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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Oh, I forgot to mention I had another insatiable craving last night.
I made Jeff go get me a hamburger while I put the laundry away, and when he brought it back I put strawberry jam on it. Mmmmm. It was really good, although I think in the future I'll arrange to have peach or plum or apricot-pineapple on hand (strawberry was all we had.)
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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I was 3 cm. and 90% effaced when I was induced with Emma, 1.5 cm and 70% effaced when I was induced with Bridey.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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Ludosti, I wish I had posted this sooner, but anyway, I'm thinking of you today!!! Lots of wishes for a good labor (wasn't really sure what kind of labor to wish you...painless is obviously pretty unrealistic!) and a healthy daughter.
Hansenj, my due date was 1/21. So you must be due in early February, right??
And now my news:
Nathaniel is home!
And oh my goodness, it so SO hard to take care of a baby. And this one mostly just sleeps, bless his little heart. (He eats and poops a lot, too.)
We went to the pediatrician today. Traumatic...but he was 5 lbs. 7 oz., so he's gained 6 oz. since his discharge on Tuesday.
Breastfeeding is going better. We're both getting more used to it. I still have to give him 2 formula feedings a day to get his weight up. I haven't been successful with breastfeeding him at night yet, because by the time he has cried enough to wake us up, and we've changed his diaper, he's too worked up to put in the effort to breastfeed. So I'm still pumping at night, but all of his daytime feedings have been successful.
Uh oh. He's starting to stir a little....
Edited for clarity.
[ December 21, 2007, 12:55 PM: Message edited by: Liz B ]
Posts: 834 | Registered: Jun 2005
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Congratulations Liz! Just keep working on the b/f, as he gets older it will probably get easier for him. I told my mom about him breastfeeding and she was astonished (she works with babies that have feeding problems a lot) that he had a suck good enough to breastfeed at all right now! She says many babies don't get a suck that strong until at least 36.5 to 37 weeks (gestational age.) So you're doing great!
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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Huh. I posted this earlier but apparently Hatrack ate it.
So, back from the ultrasound. Saw a healthy baby with four limbs, a four-chambered heart and...
crossed legs. The doctor couldn't get a clear shot. He said, "I don't see anything hanging out there, but I don't see a definitive girl, either." It was just not a clear enough shot to tell. He's leaning toward girl but said there is a definite possibility it's a boy, still. No three white lines, no little turtle head. *sigh* And my mom and I still have had no gender dreams. So this baby just does not want us to know.
We're looking into vanity 4D places, see if we can get a clearer shot a different day.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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Yes, but girls are coy. With my oldest (a girl) I had a whole bunch of ultrasounds (I was part of an NIH study, in addition to the ones my doctor did in her office), and we never got a clear look. And we tried!
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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She's here!! I ended up needing a C-section because the induction didn't progress the way it should have. I was pretty disappointed at first that things didn't work out as I would have liked, but they definitely worked out for the best (it turns out the cord was right next to her head, which was wedged at a weird angle, and her chest was a full inch larger than her head).
She was 8 lbs, 21.25 inches and she is beautiful!! We were able to come home on Christmas day and we're glad to be home. Adjusting to everything is difficult but she really is a good baby, so I can't complain.
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