eejaydiva

newlife, you and your baby bean are in my thoughts and prayers, i'm so sorry you're having a rough time. our 1st doc's appt is tomorrow at 9 am and i am SO nervous that it won't go well, or something will be wrong, or they won't find a heart beat. prayers for you and me and everyone else out there. i'll keep you posted.

What a fun idea! Ok, I set one up too, it's pretty basic as I'm not very far along and don't have lotsa pics saved on this computer, but here ya go. Welcome to our favorite website!

HeatherO wrote: I have also been on a fruity yogurt kick lately. I like the Yoplait Whips or the Yoplait Light "Thick" yogurts. I like the different textures, there is plenty of calcium and not too many calories. Hey peeps! Heather, are you eating yogurt sweetened with aspartame, as most light/fat free yogurts are? I've been looking everywhere for non-fat yogurts sweetened without aspartame and can't find any....since preggos can't have aspartame, I've been eating regular lowfat yogurt, but at nearly 220 calories per cup, thats just hard on me. I am up about 5-7 lbs depending on the day I weigh. Not great for only 7 weeks, but I am TRULY getting hungry all the time now, so trying to make good choices. My cravings are similar to all of yours, mostly sweet stuff (powdered donuts, grapes, blueberries, yogurt and cereal) I think part of the weight gain is due to constipation and water retention...at least I hope so!

I don't think ultrasounds are the most accurate when it comes to sizing or determining certain things...a few stories 1. My friend Amber had "eclipse twins", Baby boy was perfectly behind baby girl in the uterus, so they only saw the outline of 1 baby and the 2 heartbeats were in perfect unison until the 4th month when Amber looked 8 months pregnant and insisted they make sure there weren't twins. 3 previous ultrasounds had failed to discover TWO BABIES. I was in the room when they found the second baby by bouncing a second ultrasound gun off her back..we both burst into tears. 2. My brother was born "early" by doctor's due date calculations and weighed nearly 11 pounds. My poor mother went thru a vaginal delivery too! She knew when her last menstrual period ended and how long her cycle days were, but in the 80's, just like today, all women are based on a standard 28 day cycle and a 4 day period...so she was actually 3 weeks overdue by her dates, but 5 days early based on the doc.

CONGRATS Fairy! Very happy for you...I feel like I'm having a boy...of course, I'm only 7 weeks so who knows? I am going stir crazy until our 1st appointment with the doc on December 29th...

babycenter.com, americanpregnancy.com and the What to Expect Book all state that there are ties between lack of morning sickness being a slight indicator for early increased risk of miscarriage. The correlation is that hormone surges cause morning sickness and a miscarrying pregnancy will have decreasing hormones, not surging hormones. I gave up and called the doc, she said to try and relax and that it's common not to have it...I'm just scared...

Hello friends! I tried looking for a thread specific to my concern with this and didn't, so I'm posting a new one. I am currently 6 weeks pregnant and am concerned about the lack of morning sickness I am experiencing. Our first pre-natal appointment isn't until December 29th, so I'm naturally going a little bonkers here. I've read that lack of morning sickness is tied to higher rates of miscarriage and of course, that is very concerning to me! 1. How many of you out there suffered from morning sickness? 2. When did it start? books say it starts around 5 or 6 weeks. 3. If you DIDN'T have morning sickness, did you go on to have a healthy pregnancy? I'm just a bit freaked out...:confused::eek::confused:

I'm definitely eating more too, but the scale right now is more of an annoying foe than a good trusted dieting partner. For one thing, it shows me 5 lbs up one day, then 1 lb up the next, so i know it's water weight and other pregnancy-related bloat. I am definitely more hungry, but my doc said i should only be eating about 300 cals more a day than usual, so i'm trying to behave...ugh. He also doesn't believe in unfills unless you're super sick, so i guess we'll wait and see. My nausea has been only occasional so far... I think part of the issue (gross-out, too much info warning!) is that i am having some constipation, which my obgyn said is quite common in early pregnancy, especially your first baby, as this will be for me...so i know that contributes to weight retention in a rather icky way. Is anyone else dealing with this? A friend had it so bad that she would bleed while making bowel movements for weeks!

Hi guys! Babyfever, i'm so very glad you're home and safe, i'm sorry you're sore! I didn't wanna say anything before you had your surgery for fear of scaring you, but i had a rough recovery. The first 2 days were very painful, stiff, gassy, etc. Not like most people who have the band and are up, walking around in 12 hours...i had to be admitted overnight and was pretty rough. By end of day 3, was feeling more like myself, but i think everyone goes thru that "what was i thinking?!" phase. Don't worry, it passes and then you lose tons of weight and get preg and so on!! Fairy and losing, i think the paranoia is normal, just wish it would end...all the books and sites state that chances of miscarriage go down by a huge amount once you can hear the heartbeat at 8 weeks and further are reduced to almost nothing by the 12th week, so i'm just trying to get there. I think it's a welcome to being a parent...all this worry. Time certainly has flown so far, so that's good! I was 3 wks preg when i found out, now entering my 6th wk. I know that i have forever to go, but i'm still thrilled. By the way, i'm due august 3rd...when is everyone due?

I am VERY glad Jpet mentioned the herbal tea articles and research on babycenter's site. I too read that and was very surprised to learn such simple teas like chamomile can harm you, but they are so concentrated in tea bags, that its a real risk. I live in Denver and we have the Celestial Seasonings Tea Factory here..I toured it 2 wks ago with a girlfriend and bought some of the Maternity Tea. It had a great flavor when we were sampling it, and the box said it has ingredients like Rasberry Leaf (To Strengthen the Uterus, per box). So I thought, "Great!". Well....WRONG. Rasberry leaf is known to cause unsafe contractions. Fairy, you're right in that orgasm and other natural activities cause contractions, but the ones caused by herbs or other stimulants can be dangerous as they are stronger and more un-natural then ones caused by normal bodily activity...thus why to avoid them. On a side note, the more sour the food or drink, the more it settles morning sickness...odd. Lemonade is my drink of choice lately, or lime juice in ice Water.

Babyfever, you are in my thoughts as you approach surgery day tomorrow!! Congrats and be sure to post an update on the thread as soon as you're up to it. Tink and Grits and everyone else, congrats on your success and thanks so much for the encouragement and support! I am feeling quite good today and just trying to make sure I get thru the next 7 weeks until my first trimester is over...as anyone preg will admit, it's a nervous, worrysome time and I'm just hoping for the best. HUGS!

I'm jumping on the preggo bandster wagon! I am 5 weeks today....due Aug 3, 09 (or around then!). We tried for about 6 months, using ovulation kits and charting, finally decided to relax and got rid of all of that, BOOM, pregnant!

Hello! Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I had a wonderful day, no band tightness for the first time in a week and munched all day on yummy food, but actually didn't go overboard, GO ME! We told both sides of our immediate family yesterday, it was wonderful. Hubby's side was thrilled and excited, shrieking and etc. My parents and siblings were happy and surprised and we got to spend the evening discussing all things baby, and future, etc. How are you all doing out there?

My buddies Heather & Fairy make some excellent points. Bean, I encourage you to listen to them. I myself was banded 8 months ago and just found out I am pregnant. (Due to worsening health issues, I was given the go-ahead to try early). As impulsive as I am, I made sure to get 50 lbs off before trying. If it took 4 months then great, if it took a year, then oh well. That put me at a nice, even 200 lbs or so. I fluctuate up and down about 5 lbs, but you get my point. At 333 lbs with unexplained miscarriages, I would highly encourage you to wait. I have been with my husband for 8 yrs. I know that when you've been with someone for so long, it can feel natural to want to take the next step. For you, I hope the next step is realizing you are valuable enough to improve your mental and physical health before becoming a mommy. Not to completely get cheesy, but you truly have to love yourself first. Time flies after banding! Your life becomes a great rhythm of optimism and change, you are proud of yourself and your body for what it can accomplish with this tool. A day will come when you feel comfortable and well-adjusted to band life. I don't care what time limit the docs put on you, THAT is when you're ready for babies. Good luck! Please do the band first, you won't regret it!

My Dear Friends, old and new, Thank you all so much for your support and words of wisdom, humor, encouragement, etc. I am THRILLED. Hubby doesn't know yet, I am getting a card tonight to surprise him, so you are technically the first to know! I am so grateful to God and really hopeful for a safe, uneventful pregnancy. I took a 2nd test over my lunch hour, this time a digital, which confirmed I am pregnant! It's very early, so we will be keeping it from close friends and family for another few days until it sinks in, but I knew all of you out there would deserve to know, as you've been there with me at my highest and lowest points. Prayers for myself and all the expecting/hoping to expect mamas out there!

Hi guys!!!! I'm pregnant! Auntie Flo was due today and did not arrive, so I decided to take a preg test since we are going to the Coldplay concert tonight and I didn't want to drink if there was a chance. I used one of my dollar store cheapies when I got up this morning. Did the test, set it on the bathroom counter, and turned away to weigh myself. Glanced back and saw 2 lines instead of 1 like I get when it's negative, almost screamed.....the positive line is light, a bit faint for sure, but I only ovulated 10 days ago. Due to obsessing over pregnancy websites the past year, I know that any visible line means one thing: It detected pregnancy hormones. OMG, I AM SO EXCITED and at the same time, scared to be excited. Gonna re-test with a digital test later today to be sure, but OMG OMG OMG. Praise God. :drool::laugh::w00t::laugh::tt1::laugh::tt1::laugh::cursing::laugh::w00t:

OMG she's so teenie and wonderful and cute Wheetsin! Thanks for such an interesting and detailed birth story! She is so cute, she truly made my heart ache...I hope I'm next!! Hugs.

Hi peeps, Quick update. I decided November is my relaxation month. I am not taking ovulation tests, checking other fertility signs or keeping track of my cycle days. I am relaxing and having lots of "fun" with hubby. The past few months have been too stressful, I was putting too much pressure on this whole experience. So, I had a few cocktails at our big Halloween party and have been truly chilled out! I'm happy with that! As well, I think it's helping me because the scale finally budged! Only 1 lb from my 50 lb loss goal, WOOOO!! Hope you are all doing well out there.

Weightsmasher, CONGRATS!!! Such wonderful news and blessings! I am thrilled for you! Keep us posted, it has been so much fun to watch the progress of some of the girls like Losingjusme and HeatherO!! WOO HOO!:thumbup:

:confused:My Aunt Flo arrived today...I am SO SAD.:smile::sad::eek: Ok, ok..I KNOW we've only been trying 4 or 5 months. I KNOW this is normal for it to take awhile. I KNOW that obsessing is not healthy. But we were so good. We knew my ovulation dates and made sure to do everything right. I had the weirdest litany of funky symptoms this week that I just felt different, like maybe this was finally it. Breast tenderness (which I have never, ever had in my life) back ache, bleeding gums, all the funny little signs you start seeing. Exhausted and emotional, but also calm. To top things off, Flo always arrives in the middle of the night and is there to greet me when I wake, but it wasn't there yesterday or this morning, when it was due, so I felt strangely like maybe I wouldn't see her again for the next 9 months or so. Was hoping to take a test tonight and then after a few hours at work, I went to the restroom and Ta-Da, she's here...I'm very sad. This is getting hard because family & friends are starting to ask when we're gonna have kids and such. I have a few girlfriends who are pregnant. I'm thrilled and desperately jealous of them at the same time. Please my friends, help me see the light at the end of this tunnel. I am emotionally exhausted and the only thing thats keeping me going is that I'm trying to have a sense of humor about this. (At least now I can have a few cocktails next weekend at our big Halloween party!) My annual checkup with my gyno is in December, so I will give it until then to try this naturally and then be asking her advice (if she's still there, not sure when HER baby is due :biggrin:) Sorry to whine, I would truly appreciate any advice or words of wisdom. Mostly I just feel like I need a hug, digital or otherwise....so I'm reaching out. I hope you're all doing better than I am.

Hello friends! I am currently going bonkers in the 2WW (2 week wait: the period from ovulation/trying to get preg to the 10 or 14th day past ovulation, when you can hope for a positive preg test). I have about a week to go before I can test, ugh! I ovulated last friday, meaning the earliest I could take a test and hope/pray/obsess for a positive would be around Monday the 20th, but I wanna wait until at least the 22nd, which would make Auntie Flo a day late. So yes, going crazy. On top of that, our friends bought us tickets for the amusement park tomorrow, I'm worried I should not be riding coasters if I'm trying to get a little egg to implant! Trying to google the risks of roller coasters while possibly 8 days pregnant, ha! My weight loss has been completely at a stand-still for 3 wks now, I can't seem to hit 50 lbs! :smile: I admit I have been a little naughty, but c'mon! I guess I need to get my butt in gear. How are all of you doing out there in the world? Pray for a +++++ test for me!

Heather I'm sorry for your distress my dear! Keep in mind a couple of things, ok? 1. YOU are the boss of your body. I was a med student and unless there is imminent risk to you or the fetus, a doctor cannot refuse treatment or to discuss options with you. Get a fill if you need a fill. 2. The nurse should have been more understanding, especially given she's been there. But she probably was trying to save you alot of discomfort and stress...The road to Hell is paved with Good intentions, ya know? :smile: 3. Alot of banded preggos suddenly find themselves very tight. Even right now with your bambino the size of a Cheerio, that may be hard to imagine, but if you get bigger, you may find that 4 cc's is plenty of restriction, try to see this as a progression that may worsen, it won't always be this way. Most of all, know that we are here for you and we all care about one another! Keep us posted on your decision, ok? :frown:

Ok HeatherO, this one's for you baby, cuz I adore ya and all the rest of you banded preggos. WHY I did this? Only out of affection and sheer craziness, as I myself am NOT YET PREGNANT, but hoping to be any day now, and hoping you will all deal with me when I'm being neurotic (NOT to say you are neurotic, just warning you that I will be, fo sho) It took me some time, but here goes. Experiment:confused: I checked the threads on here regarding how much bandsters reported gaining with band and baby...also checked threads on a few other lapband sites (obesityhelp.com, among others). Basically did a sampling and count of how many women responded and what they gained. This is by no means a perfectly scientific study, but I used a fairly high amount of reponses, so here goes. As well, I stole a little bit of data from New England Medical Journal study of weight related issues in banded women during pregnancy. Bandsters gained an average of 18.4 lbs during their entire pregnancy. Those who had SEVERE sickness lasting more than 3 months gained 9 lbs. A few who went over their due date by 1 or 2 weeks still only gained about 19.6 lbs. As well, it took less than 2 months to return to their pre-baby/goal weight, depending on what they were at. Almost all of these women had all or almost all of their Fluid removed by the 2nd trimester, so these figures are from women who mostly had little to no restriction other than the band for the bulk of their pregnancies. So if you move alot during pregnancy and focus on nutrition, I'd imagine you may gain about 10 lbs. Those who said they used pregnancy as a fun little "band vacation" and ate alot or suffered from major bed rest/fatique and didn't exercise much were more in the 20 lbs gained range. HUGS! I truly hope this makes you feel better about the possible gaining that will go on! Think about it this way: If you gain 16 lbs and have an 8 lb baby, you only have 8 to lose! :wink2:

Just had to add a few funny stories about the week I'm having...hope you find these as funny (and mildly frustrating as I do). FUNNY #1: I've been using my ovulation test sticks and expecting a positive ovulation pretty much the last 2 days, as I usually "O" around the 6th...well nothing. Then was taking a test last night, it didn't develop, so I left it on the bathroom counter to wait the 8 minutes (I usually only wait 1 or 2 as the result pops up right away). Anyhoo, forgot about it and went back like 15 min later and it's positive...WTH? The box says not to read results after 8 minutes, so now what??!? Positive or negative? I'm planning 2 tests today just to make sure! FUNNY #2: Ran into an old high school friend yesterday...she was very much like Samantha on Sex and the City. Career minded, modern, not interested in men for anything but sex. She's pregnant!!! Some one-night stand in Chicago last month...friggin' great. To her credit she seems excited, but sheesh! FUNNY #3 : Several of my girlfriends and I share the same gynecologist. I have converted them all to her practice, as I bragged for ages about how great, wonderful, supportive, funny she was. Going to yearly appointments was like seeing a doctor, shrink and your best girlfriend for lunch all wrapped up in one. I love this woman. Well last night, my girlfriend ran into our doc at a restaurant and she's like 5 months pregnant....YES, I know I should be happy for her, but all I can think is, "Darnit, my perfect doctor will be on maternity leave and won't be around to treat my pregnancy if it happens soon!" The fact that my doc is pregnant is made funnier by the fact that my PERFECT Band Surgeon Dr Melniczek left Colorado a few months ago to return to his home state of Pennsylvania, so now I'm losing both great docs....sniffle.

Hello Canehdiangirl! Hello everyone else! Welcome to bandster land Caneh, that is great news! Down 25 lbs in a month is certainly good progress! I'm 7 months out and STILL trying to reach my 50 lb loss goal! After a week or two, you're probably feeling more like yourself. I would DEFINITELY wait to get pregnant until a minimum 6 months at the soonest. There was so much about my band that I learned in the first few months, I definitely did not get it all figured out until recently. Being only 7 months out myself, there are still times I mess it up or make a bad choice of food. By the 4th and 5th month after surgery, you will be having a lot more freedom to eat and less port pain, bloat, etc. Due to fertility issues that are worsening, my surgeon gave us the "go ahead" in late july to start trying, when I was about 4 or 5 months post-op. As well, for every 10 lbs that you're overweight, your fertility decreases by up to 15%!! So the longer you wait, the more likely you are to get a "sticky" pregnancy that lasts! I'm very sorry for your losses, we have not yet even had a positive test, so here's hoping for you and me and everyone else on this thread! If you're going crazy, here's some fun websites for Trying To Conceive, Expectant Moms, etc. www.peeonastick.com www.babyhopes.org www.twoweekwait.com