My journey to find balance

[DieselsMom]

So glad to hear everything is still going well for you MM that this awesome news! Can't wait to hear what your having, I didn't find out with mine but I also know that feeling of wanting to be prepared when they come too.

[marathonmom262]

So glad to hear everything is still going well for you MM that this awesome news! Can't wait to hear what your having, I didn't find out with mine but I also know that feeling of wanting to be prepared when they come too.

Thanks! Yep - this time I have to be prepared because I've given everything away to my sisters so I need to know what to start asking to get back! I didn't know with our first but I let my husband find out from the tech because I knew he could keep a good secret. I knew all along she was a girl anyway! I had to know with my son because for some reason I needed to know if I was going to have to get pregnant again haha! I felt pressure to have at least one boy to continue his family name so even though I knew we may want more anyway I needed to know if I HAD to try for more

This one I will just be happy for a healthy little beebs - girl or boy is fine - I just can't wait to kiss chubby little cheeks - I just need to get clothes from my sisters for the appropriate gender. My son wore plenty of girls pajamas and had pink bibs the first year of his life though - so this baby will probably be doing the same anyway

[DieselsMom]

I thought Lexi was boy right up to the moment she popped out and the doc announced she was a girl. Carried both pregnancies exactly the same only difference was I could eat bacon with Lexi but not Xavier. I still remember my first thought was "she's gonna hate me when she's 16"!!!

Either way healthy and happy is all we moms ever want.

[marathonmom262]

Hi ladies!! I have so much to share today - both ups and downs.

First - I am carrying an absolutely perfect little GIRL!!! We were kind of hoping for a girl (I want to play with baby girl hair and bows one more time!), we already had a name picked for a girl (less arguments to come), and both kids have been saying they wanted a little sister. Hooray! She is tracking perfectly with her due date and showed no issues whatsoever with her growth or anatomy.

Now for the down part - I have a complication called vasa previa. You've likely heard of placenta previa where the placenta lies over the cervix - this is similar but a little more complicated. First - the umbilical cord does not go directly from my baby girl into the placenta. I have velamentous cord insertion which means the umbilical cord inserts into the membrane, then the blood vessels (that usually stay within the cord) split apart "free floating" unprotected somewhat to the placenta where they insert on their own. The vasa previa part comes into play where one of the three vessels is lying between the baby's head and my cervix. This is dangerous because if the vessel is ruptured with pressure from the baby's head I would very likely lose my baby before I could make it to the hospital.

We are taking this one day at a time - it is still very early and we are happy that they diagnosed it now - it decreases my risk of losing my baby dramatically to know and manage this. I will go back again in 6 weeks for them to take another look - it's possible that the one artery will have moved out of the way but I'm not counting on that. I was told to expect to have an early c-section - potentially at 35 to 36 weeks or even earlier if necessary - the risks will be weighed between premature issues and rupturing of the vessel near the cervix. I could be in the hospital on bed rest as early as 28 weeks just to be there for an emergency c-section. These are all possibilities that I have to prepare for - the good news is that my baby is currently completely unaffected by this and is perfectly healthy as am I. I am on pelvic rest (poor hubs - I've been doing pelvic rest anyway out of fear thanks to my previous losses) and can't really do any exercising or lifting, etc. So I will continue to sit on my behind getting chubby - I'm cool with that as long as baby is fine in there!

So that's my story! No epic prego workout stories to share during this pregnancy - I'll have to make up for it after I have baby. Bummer that I'll have to have a c-section scar and longer recovery but that's the cards I've been dealt this time!

Hope everyone has been feeling good and making great progress!

[jjeane]

Hug first! A GIRL!! YEA!!!
Okay on the complications, oh you are taking this so well. One day at a time is right. But 6 weeks to wait til you go back! I will be praying for you and your little beanette. Do what ever you have to do to keep you and her healthy!! keep us posted, I have been wondering about you!

[gobbles23]

Oh my goodness!!! A little girl, how sweet

Oh my MM!!! I am crossing my fingers for you and hoping with all my hear that everything turns out ok <3

[DieselsMom]

Ditto what JJ and Lori said.

Keep safe and healthy, positive vibes (((HUG))). I'm glad you know as at least the knowledge gives you power and understanding on how to control the outcome as best as possible. Hubs can have an affair with palmala . He will survive haha

[dreahere]

Oh, big big hugs, MM! So glad you and your baby girl are healthy and doing well so far and sending all kinds of positive vibes your way that the complication will be managed with complete success.

[thehobbes]

Congrats on finding out you're having a baby girl MM. Stay safe and treat yourself well. I hope everything turns out ok with minimal complications. Sending whimsical Good Luck Cat vibes to you.

[marathonmom262]

Hug first! A GIRL!! YEA!!!
Okay on the complications, oh you are taking this so well. One day at a time is right. But 6 weeks to wait til you go back! I will be praying for you and your little beanette. Do what ever you have to do to keep you and her healthy!! keep us posted, I have been wondering about you!

Thanks jj! I'm trying to take it well - I'm of course scared as heck of the possibility that something terrible could happen, but it hasn't happened and I have faith that it won't. I think God gives the crazy stuff to those that can handle it. He must think I'm one strong a$$ woman

Oh my goodness!!! A little girl, how sweet

Oh my MM!!! I am crossing my fingers for you and hoping with all my hear that everything turns out ok <3

Thanks Lori! I am really excited about having another little girl - shopping for little girl clothes is much more fun than shopping for little boy clothes in my opinion! Plus more hair to braid

Ditto what JJ and Lori said.

Keep safe and healthy, positive vibes (((HUG))). I'm glad you know as at least the knowledge gives you power and understanding on how to control the outcome as best as possible. Hubs can have an affair with palmala . He will survive haha

Thanks DM! I'll take all of the healthy positive vibes I can get. My doctor told me this morning I'm really lucky this was diagnosed, he often sees it with patients when it was not diagnosed by ultrasound and it's always an emergency situation that can end up not good at all. I'm considering myself lucky! And you're right - hubs will just have to survive!

Oh, big big hugs, MM! So glad you and your baby girl are healthy and doing well so far and sending all kinds of positive vibes your way that the complication will be managed with complete success.

Thank you Andrea! I am so grateful that she is perfect and healthy in every way - I keep reminding myself that many other parents leave an ultrasound with news about how their child will deal with a complication for the rest of their life and my little girl is perfect. I need to stay off of the internet - been reading too many sad "20 week anatomy scan" horror stories - of course mine is probably one of them to most pregnant women!

Congrats on finding out you're having a baby girl MM. Stay safe and treat yourself well. I hope everything turns out ok with minimal complications. Sending whimsical Good Luck Cat vibes to you.

Thank you Auntie Ham!! I'm definitely taking it easy - I live with my own personal Prof. Safety Ham - my husband has been screaming at me about hauling bags of mulch, full laundry baskets, 10 bags of groceries at once, etc. - I guess I'll have to start listening to him now and being okay with him running the show for a while (he's got both kids cleaning baseboards today - I think he's got things under control haha). Thanks for the kitty vibes!! I'll take them all!!

[Echo814]

Yay!!! Congrats on the little girl MM!!! I'm glad they were able to diagnose that and get a plan of action going. Sending positive juju your way again It's awesome that she is growing and developing well

C-sections aren't too bad and its better when they are scheduled and the baby hasn't dropped into the birth canal yet. The scars not bad at all, as long as the Dr preforming it is any good.

Definitely stay off the internet for that, I've been a few of those support sites and it's just sad It's probably hard to not worry but sounds like you are doing good with that, stay strong woman

[marathonmom262]

Yay!!! Congrats on the little girl MM!!! I'm glad they were able to diagnose that and get a plan of action going. Sending positive juju your way again It's awesome that she is growing and developing well

C-sections aren't too bad and its better when they are scheduled and the baby hasn't dropped into the birth canal yet. The scars not bad at all, as long as the Dr preforming it is any good.

Definitely stay off the internet for that, I've been a few of those support sites and it's just sad It's probably hard to not worry but sounds like you are doing good with that, stay strong woman

Thank you Echo!!!

I actually posted something on the October 2013 birth board I have been following and there is only one other person that had the same diagnosis but her situation was a little different. I got a lot of different comments from people - one mother who lost a child because hers was undiagnosed and another who had the perfect outcome just like what I am hoping for after being diagnosed. She was admitted at 32 weeks, worked on her laptop from the hospital, had her baby just past 35 weeks and she didn't even need to stay in the NICU - they were home in 4 days after delivery! As much as the perinatal specialist warned me not to read too much online I actually feel like I've read enough to make me feel a little more confident and knowledgeable. That said I'm avoiding reading about c-sections - I don't really want to know hahahaha!

I'm getting so antsy for July 23 because I can't wait to see my little girl up on the screen again and I just want to hear more about their plans for me based on what they see. But - of course that is an entire month away!!!

In other fun news - hubs and I are actually going to dinner by ourselves tomorrow night for the first time since December! It is our 11th wedding anniversary I think we are both looking forward to delicious Indian food at one of our favorite restaurants but even more looking forward to being able to sleep in on Sunday morning since the kids will be having a sleepover with my in-laws.

Have a great weekend friends!

[Cardioconvert]

HI MM~

I've been quietly reading in the background - so glad you are expecting another girl and am confident that with the early diagnosis, you'll be writing about a healthy bundle of joy arriving in the future

Have fun at dinner with hubs - nice

CC

[dreahere]

Happy anniversary, MM!

[jjeane]

Happy Anniversary!! 11 yrs is big time! I hope you guys have a wonderful evening out. Enjoy sleeping in. As you know sleep now!!
Will bring thinking of you! Can't wait to see piccies of the little beannette!!

[swooshie]

Hi ladies!! I have so much to share today - both ups and downs.

First - I am carrying an absolutely perfect little GIRL!!! We were kind of hoping for a girl (I want to play with baby girl hair and bows one more time!), we already had a name picked for a girl (less arguments to come), and both kids have been saying they wanted a little sister. Hooray! She is tracking perfectly with her due date and showed no issues whatsoever with her growth or anatomy.

Now for the down part - I have a complication called vasa previa. You've likely heard of placenta previa where the placenta lies over the cervix - this is similar but a little more complicated. First - the umbilical cord does not go directly from my baby girl into the placenta. I have velamentous cord insertion which means the umbilical cord inserts into the membrane, then the blood vessels (that usually stay within the cord) split apart "free floating" unprotected somewhat to the placenta where they insert on their own. The vasa previa part comes into play where one of the three vessels is lying between the baby's head and my cervix. This is dangerous because if the vessel is ruptured with pressure from the baby's head I would very likely lose my baby before I could make it to the hospital.

We are taking this one day at a time - it is still very early and we are happy that they diagnosed it now - it decreases my risk of losing my baby dramatically to know and manage this. I will go back again in 6 weeks for them to take another look - it's possible that the one artery will have moved out of the way but I'm not counting on that. I was told to expect to have an early c-section - potentially at 35 to 36 weeks or even earlier if necessary - the risks will be weighed between premature issues and rupturing of the vessel near the cervix. I could be in the hospital on bed rest as early as 28 weeks just to be there for an emergency c-section. These are all possibilities that I have to prepare for - the good news is that my baby is currently completely unaffected by this and is perfectly healthy as am I. I am on pelvic rest (poor hubs - I've been doing pelvic rest anyway out of fear thanks to my previous losses) and can't really do any exercising or lifting, etc. So I will continue to sit on my behind getting chubby - I'm cool with that as long as baby is fine in there!

So that's my story! No epic prego workout stories to share during this pregnancy - I'll have to make up for it after I have baby. Bummer that I'll have to have a c-section scar and longer recovery but that's the cards I've been dealt this time!

Hope everyone has been feeling good and making great progress!

Hi MM Popped in when I saw activity in your journal! Yay for a girl! So much awesome shopping and fun stuff!!!

I'm sorry to hear about the Vasa Previa. I rarely see it, but it is a concerning complication for sure. Sounds like your doc is doing exactly what the docs I work for would be doing. We just had a patient deliver with Vasa Previa. Inpatient bedrest with careful prenatal monitoring and planned c-section . Everything was fine. If there is a vasa previa complication, they have to move very, very, fast, which is the reason they want you already in the hospital.

Good luck!!! I'll keep stopping by to see how you are doing! Hang in there!!!

Happy Anniversary!!!

[dreahere]

Thinking of you today, chickie.

[jjeane]

Good luck today!! Hope all is well!!

[DieselsMom]

Ditto what the other ladies said - good luck and hope all is well in your family.

[gobbles23]

Good luck today MM!!!!!! *hugs*

[marathonmom262]

Hi ladies!!!

I feel so bad for not getting on here and updating you sooner - you guys are seriously the best support, I hope you know how much I appreciate you!!

So my appt 2 weeks ago went AWESOME. It was cool to see my little lady again in there and.... the vessel that was at my cervix appears to have moved up along the side of my uterus as baby and I have grown!! It is no longer directly over the cervix which is a huge deal. I'm still not allowed to do anything (any physical activity of the gym and bedroom type, hrmph) - but my stress level has gone down immensely. They felt so positive about it that I don't need to go back until the end of August for my next ultrasound so no worries about hospital bedrest until then at the very least. If it still appears off to the side, I might even get to go closer to full term and have a v-delivery.

I have a regular checkup tomorrow (I start going every 2 weeks now that I'm in the third trimester!) so it will be my first time to meet with my regular OB following that perinatal visit. I'm going to ask about them scheduling an induction between 38-39 weeks for a v-delivery if they let me go past that 35/36 week mark and don't make the c-section mandatory. I can't imagine laboring at home at all - both of my kids I started labor with them at about 39 weeks on the dot so while I'd love to actually birth this baby as I did the other two, I want to do it while being fully monitored in the hospital this time and not at home!! Either way I won't have a plan or date in place until that next ultrasound in a few weeks. I can't imagine they would actually let me labor outside of the hospital with the velamentous cord insertion and potential for the "moved" vessel to still rupture during labor even if they say I no longer have vasa previa. I'm just a worrywart and like to plan everything so I need to know the possibilities!!

In the meantime we've been getting the nursery ready, I got furniture and clothes and various pieces of equipment from family members so the costs I had expected are coming down! Of course my infant car seat had expired, I needed another crib, our swing was broken, so was the monitor.... This time around it looks like I just need a new monitor (will buy a video monitor this time!) and some random stuff like a new bath seat, bottles, etc. My sisters have me totally covered on everything else which is awesome!

I read this article today that made me feel so much better - http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/post...html?mcid=face

I can't tell you how much of a bummer it is not to be able to do anything. I'm almost 29 weeks and I've gained 33 lbs already with my inactivity. I'm actually eating pretty great with meals but indulging on desserts a lot more just because I can (I know - all excuses, but it's been fun taking my kids out to get ice cream every now and again since I can't take them to amusement parks or anything fun like that!). Reading that article this morning while I ate my oatmeal (see - I'm still eating oatmeal, chicken, and veggies like a good girl!) made me feel so much better. I hope you all understand why I can't catch up on your journals right now :/ Jealousy! It will be tough to step foot in the gym as my weak chubby self in December when I'm cleared to work out again - but I have to start somewhere and I'm proud of myself for feeling so strongly about wanting to make progress again - that's good enough for now!

Thanks again ladies for checking in to my journal. I am mentally hugging each and every one of you for your awesomeness and am grateful to have you!

[DieselsMom]

Great news MM!!! So happy it has moved to the side and don't worry you will be back at it soon enough and we will make sure to kick your butt into gear then

(((HUG)))

[gobbles23]

^^^^That So happy for you Relax and take it easy You can kill it when you get back at it!!!

[dreahere]

Best news I've heard in a long time! So happy for you and the lil bean!

[jjeane]

I am sooo happy for you. I was thinking of you just the other day. I was thinking about the fall calves coming. The cows are starting to "show" and I was sending you the best wishes that things were going well for you and beanette! Hugs!

[geek23ka]

i am so relieved to hear that the complications have lessened now. and so so happy for you!

[jjeane]

Hi MM!! My cows are calving and I thought of you. Sending the best wishes for you and your beanette!!

[Echo814]

I saw the journal bump and was hoping it was an update

Hope all is going well MM. You still have cheering section at bb.com

[DieselsMom]

Ditto - hope all is going well have been thinking about you.

[marathonmom262]

Friends!!!

Sorry to be absent for so long - as you can imagine my life has been a little different lately

My beautiful Cora was born on October 15th. 21 hours of labor (I was really hoping the third time around would be much shorter - not by much apparently!!) and I ended up luckily getting an epidural for the last hour. Good thing I did - the velamentous cord insertion caused some complications after Cora came out, but my doc took care of everything and we were just fine.

Cora is an awesome baby - I can't believe she will be two months old soon. She is starting to get a little personality and smiles, coos, and jibber jabbers a little more with every day lately. I will try to get some pictures accessible on here sometime soon.

As for me, I'm a little tired, really fat, and just trying to get back into a normal groove. I started back at work 2 weeks ago and since my little one eats just about every 2 hours (most nights she gives me a 3-4 hour stretch and then we're every 2 hours after that!), I am pretty much exhausted when I come home from work. I want so badly to work out to start losing some weight but I'm just to darn tired, still haven't even been to my gym yet

A friend at work gave me a copy of T25 so I'm going to try to start that up after the Christmas holiday (need something to do from home since it's tough to detach from my baby or breast pump for too long!) and also try to get to the gym at least 2 days a week to lift if I can. I'm excited and scared at the same time. I tried to do some pushups and bodyweight squats a few days ago and it was pretty ridiculous - the pushups were terrible and my inner thighs were pretty sore the next day because I'm in such bad shape. I keep telling myself my extra 25 lbs left to lose is all boob but that lie doesn't stand up when I see my booty in the mirror haha. My daughter told me my belly was getting smaller and then a few days later told me I had waves on my back - ack! She's right, 6 year olds don't lie, much work to be done here haha!

I ordered a BMF Link for my kids to give me for Christmas so I am hoping that will help with workout and nutrition motivation. I'm still not tracking food but am at least trying to jump up my protein a bit more and make smarter snack choices (tough around the holidays!). I am trying to work up the balls to take a "before" shot so that I have something to compare with later. I think it would be good so that if the scale doesn't move enough to make me happy maybe seeing progress on my body will.

I hope all has been well for my friends here in BB land - I am looking forward to catching up on everyone's journals soon to see what your goals are and just how life has been for you. May the rest of 2013 treat you all fantastically!!!