:thumbup:Hi guys! I know we have been keeping each other posted in various other threads, especially "Banded & Hoping to Get Preg", but since the title of that thread doesn't exactly give out the best info, I am starting a new one for all to post their fun pregnancy stuff, like how appointments go, how the baby is, when we find out the sex, due dates, etc etc!!

Here's my info for today!

We had our 13/14 wk appt today. I am very aware of my ovulation/menstrual cycle, so by my dates we are 13 weeks, however the docs say the baby is measuring 14 weeks. Whatever, it's gonna come when it's good and ready! We got to hear the baby's heartbeat today and it was good and solid, also fast. About 160 Beats per Minute, so there is a good chance the baby is a girl if you go off the heart rate literature. Lower rates like 120-145 BPM are often boys, higher rates from 150-180 BPM are often girls.

Other than that, all is well! I'm officially out of 1st trimester and had another lb lost, which is great as that means I technically didn't gain. The first few weeks I was starving so gained 4-6 lbs real fast, then the hunger tapered off and the band got kinda tempermental and tight on certain days, so I have lost what I gained...YIPPEE! Hearing the heartbeat was wonderful, it made it more real, just like our first ultrasound did.

Just wanted to pop in here and say Hi.

I'm Melissa. I was banded in Feb of 2008. I've had great success with the band, losing about 115 pounds (depending on the day). I still have 30-40 to go before goal, but I'm very happy with my results so far.

I'm about 7 weeks pregnant with my fourth child. I'm 116 pounds lighter than I was with my last baby, so I'm really looking forward to pregnancy not being as hard this time.

With my last baby I was obese enough that I wasn't ovulating, so I got pregnant using Clomid. After losing a significant amount of weight with the band my cycles became normal again and so this one was conceived with no fertility help! Yay!

I'm also 37, will almost be 38 by the time I deliver, so I'm no spring chicken.

I just really hope I'm able to not gain huge amounts of weight. I didn't gain much with my other kids. 25 the first one, 15 with the second and lost 5 with the third. Of course I was very obese with that last one. So, anyway, I'm hoping to keep the weight gain to a minimum, though I refuse to freak out over it. I'm just going to enjoy this pregnancy and embrace all these changes.

today is my due date and I am 50% effaced and dialated to a 1 with a soft cervix.. truely hoping this baby comes soon!

I am now 36 weeks and had a crazy Friday night...it started about 3pm, I started with some nausea...so I laid on the couch for a couple of hours and ate very little, drank some Water. About 7pm I started having BH contractions and they were pretty consitent so I timed them, they were approx. 7 min apart...I drank more water and went to bed at 9pm...I decided to ignore them and read a book while lying on my left side to make them go away. I stopped reading after a couple hours and they were still there so decided about midnight to start timing them again...still 7 min apart and they were increasing in intensity.

By 3am they were down to 6 min apart and were pretty intense...I was thinking "wow" this is really going to happen and i'm still early. Called the emergency Dr. on call and she said to "make my best judgement" as far as coming in...well they weren't progressing that fast so I figured at that rate I had at least a day to worry about it...about 6am, they started to decrease in intensity and I was able to sleep...well when I woke up at 10am the next day-they were gone! What a crazy night! I haven't had any notable activity since then!

Weird huh? Today is my 40th birthday (yeah, not too excited about it) and tomorrow is my 36 week Dr appointment so we'll see if there is any activity down South then...the day after is my husbands, mothers and little sisters birthday and although the baby would be early wouldn't it be great if he was born on that day (Oct 28th)? Our family seems to be prone to October birthdays but this baby isn't due until 11/22 (CSection is scheduled for 11/16) and I had my last baby at 3 weeks early (she was a VERY healthy 8 lb 4 oz baby with a HIGH apgar score, so I think because of my spotty periods, they may have been off on my DD a few weeks)

Has anyone checked into their local hospitals H1N1 flu emergency maternity procedures? I just found out our local hospital has some serious rules outlined for newborns right now which include NO ONE under 18 allowed to visit during postpartum recovery and ONLY 2 visitors allowed during the entire recovery period (including the spouse) which I think is great, but i'm going to miss my 5 year old-I won't be able to see her for 4 days! My mom will be watching her so I can't see my mom either because she won't drive her back (they live 100 miles away) until she can leave her safely with us and my step daughters are too young to visit and my girlfriends have young children they can't just leave home, so i'm on my own...it is going to be a LONG stay!

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers for a healthy delivery (and for our sanity) and we'll keep you all up to date as to what is going on....

-Renee

ShinyhappyMommy, hi there! Congrats on the baby! Aren't you a Dr Mel patient as well? I am.

Mischievous, wow that must have been crazy to have all that activity and then nothing! I had a similar experience, but it was about 4 days before I was due, so I was psyched! It led nowhere and I ended up getting induced 10 days later...oh well. I had very little BH contractions during my pregnancy or any activity down there at all...just that one time.

A good friend just had a C section this past Saturday because they thought her little girl was 9 lbs, but she came out around 8 lbs, 1 oz, decent size baby, but not huge. I think the docs have a tendancy to overestimate, as they did the same thing with our son. At least they didn't talk me into a c section! I would have been dismayed. In terms of hospital protocall for the flu, they said the same thing to us when we arrived to see her little one. NOBODY under 18, we had to sign a little waiver at the nurses station promising no flu symptoms or contact with sick people, and wash our hands in front of the nurses. My friend (the new mom) told me they said the same thing about only 2 visitors, but it didn't appear the hospital was enforcing that too much, at one point there were 4 or 5 of us visiting her at once....so maybe you'll get lucky and can see more than 1 or 2 peeps.

Good luck!

ShinyhappyMommy, congratulations and best of luck to you :0)

A good friend just had a C section this past Saturday because they thought her little girl was 9 lbs, but she came out around 8 lbs, 1 oz, decent size baby, but not huge.

My final ultrasound said 5 pounds 7 ounces . . . and she was born weighing exactly 5 pounds and 7 ounces. The doctor was shocked saying that it never happens to be exactly what you expect it to be, lol.

Has anyone checked into their local hospitals H1N1 flu emergency maternity procedures? I just found out our local hospital has some serious rules outlined for newborns right now which include NO ONE under 18 allowed to visit during postpartum recovery and ONLY 2 visitors allowed during the entire recovery period (including the spouse) which I think is great, but i'm going to miss my 5 year old-I won't be able to see her for 4 days! My mom will be watching her so I can't see my mom either because she won't drive her back (they live 100 miles away) until she can leave her safely with us and my step daughters are too young to visit and my girlfriends have young children they can't just leave home, so i'm on my own...it is going to be a LONG stay!

I was present for my sisters c-section (went into the operation with her) and got to hold the baby at 33 weeks and only 1 pound 8 ounces. The pictures shows me with the baby right after delivery.

The next day I was not alowed to visit since the baby was a preemie. It was strictly limited to the mother and father in the NICU. They are clamping down on visitation in order to minimize the risk.

Good luck with your delivery.

Ejm,

Yes, I am a patient of Dr. Mel's. You have a great memory! :cursing:

I was present for my sisters c-section (went into the operation with her) and got to hold the baby at 33 weeks and only 1 pound 8 ounces. The pictures shows me with the baby right after delivery.

The next day I was not alowed to visit since the baby was a preemie. It was strictly limited to the mother and father in the NICU. They are clamping down on visitation in order to minimize the risk.

Good luck with your delivery.

OMG that baby is tiny and beautiful! Isn't it funny how some times rules just don't make sense...you were there during delivery, you held her and now you can't see her...dumb, dumb, dumb...I understand precautions but we need to see some common sense used as well...sheesh

How exciting for you though!

Why did she give birth so early, was there complications? Is the baby doing okay?

ShinyhappyMommy, hi there! Congrats on the baby! Aren't you a Dr Mel patient as well? I am.

Mischievous, wow that must have been crazy to have all that activity and then nothing! I had a similar experience, but it was about 4 days before I was due, so I was psyched! It led nowhere and I ended up getting induced 10 days later...oh well. I had very little BH contractions during my pregnancy or any activity down there at all...just that one time.

A good friend just had a C section this past Saturday because they thought her little girl was 9 lbs, but she came out around 8 lbs, 1 oz, decent size baby, but not huge. I think the docs have a tendancy to overestimate, as they did the same thing with our son. At least they didn't talk me into a c section! I would have been dismayed. In terms of hospital protocall for the flu, they said the same thing to us when we arrived to see her little one. NOBODY under 18, we had to sign a little waiver at the nurses station promising no flu symptoms or contact with sick people, and wash our hands in front of the nurses. My friend (the new mom) told me they said the same thing about only 2 visitors, but it didn't appear the hospital was enforcing that too much, at one point there were 4 or 5 of us visiting her at once....so maybe you'll get lucky and can see more than 1 or 2 peeps.

Good luck!

Yeah those U/S sound preditions are usually a lb off but mine was a little more than that...I had a prediction of a 10 lb baby who came out 8 lbs 4oz...and they were predicting if she went to term she was going to be 13 lbs...she just had the head of a 10 lb baby-she gets that from her daddy!!

Why did she give birth so early, was there complications? Is the baby doing okay?

They took the baby early because he wasn't growing well. They thought he would be about 1 pound 3 ounces but ended up being 1 pound 8 ounces . . . but that is abnormally small for a 33 week baby. They said it was something like intruterine growth restriction (if I am writing it correctly). He just wasn't flourishing in the womb and stopped growing properly. The doctors decided that his chances were much better outside the womb at that point in time.

The baby is doing fine now. He is happy and healthy. He was due 4 days earlier than my baby but came almost 2 months early. He seems to be about a month behind my daughter as far as the things he is capable of doing at this age. However, it is normal for preemies to be a little behind at first and catch up later. He is such a sweetie and we are lucky to have him in the family.

Any news out there in band land of the babies/mommies that were ready to deliver soon? I'm waiting to hear!!

Hey all.. sorry for the delay in news.. my son Josiah was born on 10/28/09 after a 5 day labor!! it was insane but I was able to have him vaginally after having a c-section with my first! so it was a great thing! He was 9lbs and 21 inches.. I am doing well and almost healed. and my son is growing!! he gained 10oz in 10 days!!

I am trying to attach a photo of my daughter and Josiah.. hope it works!

Any news out there in band land of the babies/mommies that were ready to deliver soon? I'm waiting to hear!!

It FINALLY happened for me...my C Section was scheduled for this morning at 8am, but I actually went into labor (my water broke all by itself at 10:30pm on Monday 11/09 at 38 weeks) and they delivered him 11/10 at 2am! I now have a healthy bouncing baby boy. 8 lbs 8 oz and 20" long.

I'm so happy to not be pregnant anymore! Ihaven't bothered to weigh yet and don't think I will for another 4 weeks (why stress about these things right?)

Here's a pic of our new little man of the family

"Devon James"

Hey all.. sorry for the delay in news.. my son Josiah was born on 10/28/09 after a 5 day labor!! it was insane but I was able to have him vaginally after having a c-section with my first! so it was a great thing! He was 9lbs and 21 inches.. I am doing well and almost healed. and my son is growing!! he gained 10oz in 10 days!!

I am trying to attach a photo of my daughter and Josiah.. hope it works!

What a sweet baby! Can he and sis look any MORE alike? Wow, they are soooo cute together. Congrats, you must be so proud.

It FINALLY happened for me...my C Section was scheduled for this morning at 8am, but I actually went into labor (my water broke all by itself at 10:30pm on Monday 11/09 at 38 weeks) and they delivered him 11/10 at 2am! I now have a healthy bouncing baby boy. 8 lbs 8 oz and 20" long.

I'm so happy to not be pregnant anymore! Ihaven't bothered to weigh yet and don't think I will for another 4 weeks (why stress about these things right?)

Here's a pic of our new little man of the family

"Devon James"

Congrats!!!! what a beautiful little man!!!! glad you were able to avoid the "C" :biggrin:

Congrats to you both!!! They are both absolutely adorable and perfect little boys.

It must feel great getting to the new mommy stage as opposed to the pregnant and uncomfortable stage, lol.