I found a doula

that is willing to assist my birth for free. She hasn't yet completed her Dona certification so she is going to assist my birth for free. I found her on a site that links up women donating their services to moms. I wasn't sure whether or not she would go to the hospital that I am delivering at but she said she would be delighted. She seems really awesome. Been chatting via email and trying to arrange a meeting for this week as weather permits I am super psyched. Right now money is tight so I couldn't have afforded to chunk out an extra 600-800$ for a doula .. and had given up on it until a friend shared the link of free doula's with me. I am excited because I know having a doula on my side .. my odds of getting my VBAC increase!

Hunkering Down for the winter weather!

Chip, Skyla and I are hunkering down for the winter weather expected today. Calling for snow and ice. FUN FUN FUN. Charles got stranded out of town and won't get back maybe until after the weekend :( He was going to come back last night but then his car wouldn't start. So this morning he works on his car and gets it going, but by the time he was through fixing it, the ice and sleet had already started. His car is a 2 wheel drive and he needs new tires. So looks like he is going to be stuck there for a bit. Chip, Skyla and I should be okay .. but really hoping we don't lose power!! Because if we lose power .. we lose heat. Oh and all my family is towards the part where things are supposed to be even worse .. so going there would be no help. Plus I don't exactly need to be out driving in ice and snow when 7 months pregnant and supposed to be on bedrest. Especially with a 2.5 year old toddler in tow. So keep your fingers crossed that we don't lose power.

Bawling my eyes out

Discovery health is showing a show today called Baby Lab. It's got stories of different couples going through IVF.. I am crying like there is no tomorrow. So many of my friends have had to go through this process .. and reading their messages and emails .. I knew it was hard .. but watching it on TV .. just makes me realize how hard all of this has been on them. Several couples' IVFs didn't take .. and 2 couples did. One even had triplets!!! It's just such a crapshoot. It's so not fair that it works for some and not others .. and no one knows whether it will be them that it works for .. or it will be them that it doesn't work for. I just wish I could make it succesful for all that tried it.

Met the first Dr. at Duke that I didn't like today.

Ugh .. I hope I don't see her much. She made a couple of comments that just irritated me. And she is the first one I have run into over there that acts like she isn't totally up on the whole VBAC idea. Oh and she thinks epidurals are great. Not what I want to hear when I am wanting a natural birth and a VBAC .. oh and she is already starting the whole your pelvis might not be big enough to birth a big baby .. the woman hasn't been near my pelvis .. so how in the world would she know??? Not to mention .. we all know women who have 9 and 10 lb babies all the time. I'm a big woman and I have a large frame .. why the heck wouldn't my pelvis have plenty of room? Heck .. my 5'4 125lb SIL had a 9lbs 2oz baby girl no problem. I just don't like it when the first things out of the Drs. mouth is hemmin and hawing about negative stuff. I've spent the last 3 years researching VBACS .. I know the risks, the things that make it more likely to happen or not happen. I figure .. if we can keep my BP under control with the meds, I actually dialate on my own and my body goes into labor on its own.. and we skip the whole preeclampsia thing .. who cares how big the baby is .. atleast give me a trial of labor right? I am really hoping to avoid this Dr. in the future. I really like the other ones I have seen and they all seem very pro-VBACs and having that positive outlook is a definite plus in my opinion.

Ohhh and she made a crack about my weight too! Which didn't make me like her any better. We discussed the anterior placenta and I told her that finally explained why we hadn't been able to hear the heart beat via doppler for Skyla until 19 weeks. She told me it wasn't because of the anterior placenta that it was because of my weight! I said "well that's funny since I heard Chip's heart beat at 14 weeks and I weighed 20lbs more when I got pregnant with him". She did say that they would pay special attention to the location of the placenta during my next growth scan (aka ultrasound because they think I'm growing a monster baby in there). She said that more than likely that the anterior placent wouldn't be a problem when it came to giving birth .. so we will see.

Thank you Jen!!!

After seeing that amazing photo of Jen wearing Miles in her new Hotsling. I became obsessed with finding a pouch sling for Skyla. I checked out Hotslings and liked the idea of the pouch sling but none of the patterns she had quite jumped out at me. So I obsessed and obsessed and found all kinds of places where WAHM's made pouch slings. I decided to try ebay. I hit the jackpot there. I found a lady who makes custom sized pouch slings for you, she pairs up the fabric .. you win or buy it now on ebay. You pay .. she get's your measurements .. and whammo .. in 2 weeks you have your own personalized pouch sling!!! I went ahead and bought it now and paid shipping at it came out to a total of get this 22.95!!! What a great deal. Oh and it's reversable. Here's the auction

I totally love that it's got a bright and vibrant fabric on one side for when I want to pep up my outfits .. and it's got the solid blue panel on the other side so that I can wear it that way to tone it down when I need to. I think both Skyla and I will LOVE it!!!

Remind me not to Google anything about pregnancy again!!!

ACK!!! I noticed on the u/s print out that the woman had put on there that I have an anterior placenta. I wasn't sure exactly what that meant, so decided to Google it. Well I found that there seems to be no problems with an anterior placenta UNLESS you have had a previous c-section. Which ofcourse I have had. Here is what a Dr. told a woman on some medical board.

Anterior placentas are extremely common and generally do not cause complications. The exception is if you have had a prior c/section. Then, in some cases, the anterior placenta can attach itself to the old scar in the uterine muscle, a situation called placenta accreta (or percreta or increta, depending if the placenta goes deeper into the muscle, or even through the entire uterus, respectively). This can cause hemorrhage with delivery, necessitating blood transfusion or even hysterectomy. Fortunately, if you have never had a c/section, this is quite rare.

ACK!!! Just how I needed to start off my day!!!

Great appt. and u/s today!!!

So I had my first uneventful appt. in I can't even remember how long today!!! Dr. did tell me she wanted me to drink some gatorade to help with the BH cxs and the leg cramps I have been having. Then I had my ultrasound and Miss Skyla is looking great :) She's weighing about 3lbs 8oz so she is a good sized one for 29w2d. She's measuring closer to 30 weeks. She is quite flexable already and had one foot under her butt (well maybe over it since she is head down still) and then one all cocked over funny. Oh and she has big feet!!! LOL .. the u/s tech was quite impressed with her long feet. I told the u/s tech that she came by it honestly because I wear a 10 in womens and DH wears a 12 or 13 in mens. LOL. Then I went over to my friend Melissa's to see her and her 2 girls after my appts. We had lots of fun and Melissa was sweet enough to give me a truck load of girl clothes!!! She says she still has more but they need to finish going through garage before she will find them. Annmarie and Avereigh were so cute and decided to help us go through the clothes. Hehe. A great day all around :)

An internet baby shower!!!

Not for me .. For Julia and her sweet baby girl Hannah who was born yesterday. You can check it out here.

HALLELUJAH!!!!

Julia had Hannah!!! And the Drs. saved her UTERUS!!!

That is the best news I have heard all week :) I am so happy for Julia and Todd :) I can't wait to see photos of Hannah. I know she is BEAUTIFUL just like her mama!!!

I know there is a collective sigh of relief around the blog world tonight!!!

Saw this on Kether's Blog and thought this was kewl.

Stollen from Kether who stole it from :

The year in review
From The Unproductive Reproductive:This was taken/stolen from Journey Woman1.

What did you do in 2004 that you'd never done before? 2004 was the first time I ever lived in a state other than North Carolina. Lived in Arizona/Nevada for 6 months.
Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?I got pregnant .. so yes :) This years resolution is to be the best mom and wife I can be.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Yes, my sister in law gave birth to my beautiful nephew Evan.
4. Did anyone close to you die?Yes, my grandfather died.
5. What countries did you visit? we lived like an hour from Mexico but never went .. oops.
6. What would you like to have in 2005 that you lacked in 2004? a healthy Skyla!!!!
7. What date from 2004 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? July 22nd the day I got my :bfp after a year of TTC after my miscarriage
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?Carrying this little girl :)
9. Did you suffer illness or injury?Only morning sickness .. well all day sickness
10. What was the best thing you bought? Skyla's 140$ cradle for 20$!!!!
11. Whose behavior merited celebration? My husband has been a rock through my being on bedrest and having BP problems. He's done the shopping the cleaning .. alot of taking care of Chip.
12. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Seeing all the trolls out there attacking my blogger friends when they least needed it
13. Where did most of your money go? Moving back to NC
14. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Finally getting our little girl!
15. What song will always remind you of 2004? Can't think of anything right now
16. Compared to this time last year, are you:i. happier or sadder? Happier!ii. thinner or fatter? MUCH fatter!!! iii. richer or poorer? richer.
17. What do you wish you'd done more of? lol .. cleaning!
18. What do you wish you'd done less of?worrying
20. How will you be spending New Year's? I spent it sleeping!!!.
21. Did you fall in love in 2004?Yes, with our daughter to be .. and more in love with my husband than ever
22. How many one-night stands? I'm a married woman!
23. What was your favorite TV program? A baby story
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?Hate? Can't think of anyone
25. What was the best book you read? Night Play by Sherrilyn Kenyon
27. What did you want and get? Skyla
28. What did you want and not get? I got everything I wanted
29. What was your favorite film of this year? 50 First Dates
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I cried. I got a BFN and granddad was dieing. 2 days later got my BFP .. next day granddad died
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Can't think of anything
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2004?Fat and pregnant .. does that give you a hint?
.33. What kept you sane? My husband and my blogger and message board friends
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Julia Roberts has always been a hero and inspiration of mine. So happy for her and her twins!
35. What political issue stirred you the most? The presedential Election
36. Who did you miss? Always my dad who passed away in April 1999
37. Who was the best new person you met? Can't think of anyone
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2004? That good things come to those who wait.
39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year: She will be loved.

Doing the Happy Dance!!!

Well finally something went my way!!!! I don't have GD!!!! YEAH!!! I am so freaking relieved!!! I wasn't looking forward to 3 months of low sodium diet AND low carb diet .. low sodium by itself is bad enough!!! The Lab person I talked with said my #'s weren't even close to being in the GD range :) One less thing to stress over.

Starting BP meds and I may have GD

So I had my appointment today. My BP was 153/93. My urine had glucose, protein and small keytones. After 2 hours of sitting in drs. waiting rIoom then in the exam room they took my BP again. It was 142/99!!! The bottom # is the one that they really stress over the most and it went up after 2 hours of inactivity .. it normally goes down but this time went up. So on to BP meds 30 mg of Procardia? I think .. it's being filled right now. I take one pill every morning .. should last all day starting tomorrow. The dr. also mentioned the keytones in the urine and told me I needed to drink more water .. I told her I had been chugging water all morning. She said that along with the glucose in my urine tended to lead her to think I may have GD this time. So Thursday I go to check my BP (because of the new meds) and have a 3 hour GTT (I have a habit of flunking 1 hour one so going straight to 3 hour). 2 weeks from tomorrow I have another Level II scan of Skyla to keep a check on how she is growing .. with the BP issues, possible GD and our history of big babies .. her growth is a major concern for them. BLAH!!! Why is it that I never seem to get those boring uneventful appts? I saw the nutritionist today and she said that if I flunked the GD test that I would be seeing her again .. and that we would work hard on coming up with a diet for someone who has to be low sodium and low carb. Ought to be interesting. Oh and I still weighing in at 1lb below where I started out this pregnancy .. which the nutritionist said was amazing seeing I have been on bedrest for 4 weeks. She said it normally goes the opposite way on bedrest.