Rich Morris' Comics - YAFGC and The ComixBlog

Guys, if you don't wanna know details, stay clear.


Gween, Khaotic, mazel tov! Is this first babies for both of you? Our Bean is 13.5 months now, and man o man... the first trimester with her was exhausting, the second was golden, and the third was.. problematic. But we survived.

As far as naturally inducing labour goes, there's apparently a pizzaria in California that has a special labour pie that works really well... needless to say, I did not go so far as to airlift one in. If Bean hadn't come on her due date, mind you, I might have been tempted. Other than that - a couple of friends of mine swear by (and at, afterwards) spicy green curry, or chilies. Also, semen is supposed to have cervical-dialating properties. You may or may not feel like disclosing that one to your partners. (Assuming they're of the male variety for the joke to work, as opposed to a wife & 'man in a can' as a friend of mine has dubbed the donor father of her two...)

Wow. I just killed that one deader than dead with that disclaimer. Alas.

When are your due dates again?

This is my #2, and yes, the Mr. is on a strict saucing schedule, pardon the raunch. ;) I'm a hippie homebirther so Primrose Oil, Raspberry tea, and a good tumble are my preferred induction methods.

I'm due near the end of the month, if #1 coming a week early is any indicator.


I find the biology of the event so fascinating; apparently this works because uterine muscle is the same kind of tissue as intestinal, "smooth muscle." Stimulating the one often stimulates the other.

This is my third kiddo. We have a houseful Actually, we have a 'yours, mine, and ours' (12 years, 8 years, and almost 3) and this is our second 'ours'. LOL!

You know- you really do forget how rough it can be when you start thinking about adding ANOTHER child into the household! Labor and delivery- I'm so ready for it to be over and to have this little boy!

I've been using Evening Primrose Oil, getting it on (woo hoo- oh, boy, is sex unsexy when you are this pregnant!), eating pineapples, walking, walking, walking... I've tried about everything BUT the castor oil everyone either raves about or gets freaked out about!

My problem is we're kinda on a tight schedule. Hubby has been out of work since about the 23rd of July because we thought this boy would come around 36-37 weeks and I let him schedule a trip OUT OF TOWN for the 23rd of this month- yes, I'm crazy! So I'd like to have this kiddo in time for Hubby to actually get to SEE him and spend a week or so getting to know the baby before he's off across the country!

I didn't find it unsexy in the last month so much as really awkward, what with the new gymnastics required, coupled with the new lack of flexibility. We had some real sitcom moments in there, if sitcoms were X-rated.

And as for the expectations - hoo boy, yeah. Fingers crossed that the half-pints come on schedule! I had prodromal labour for the last seven weeks or so, and *everyone* was convinced that I was going to go early. BK was best man at a wedding out of town when I was 37 weeks, and half my friends called while he was out, to let me know that they were on hand when I needed to go to the hospital, since it was so obvious that it would be that weekend... Thankfully, not so much. That would have been awkward.

I did the tea, if it's the red raspberry leaf one you man, but didn't get far enough to start laying in primrose oil or castor oil. I have to admit, I'd rather eat hot curry than castor oil any day, and the results are about the same!

Khaotic: How long will he be gone?

I cannot even imagine TRUE prodromal labor... For seven weeks? Eek! I've always had odd pregnancies where I've had NO Braxton Hicks, nothing at all- so when I started having cramps at 32 weeks, I was like, "Huh?" Hubby was out of town, my Mom wanted me to go in to get checked- I felt STUPID going on- and lo and behold, those cramps were true contractions! They weren't anything biggie, IMHO, but they decided to do the shot and the meds. NOW, with that being said, I really really feel for the ladies who have contractions for weeks on end until they deliver. I just cannot fathom how tired you'd be by the time you finally had your little one!

He's out of town for 10 days and then home and then I think he has three trips in September. His work has been slow the past three-four years and then this year, it's been insane- to the point where some months, we've barely seen him. BUT it definitely pays the bills! LOL!

Sex right now... I like it ONE way- and that way causes heartburn for BOTH of us! *Snort* So while we're doing it as often as possible, I can't wait to have this baby and finally feel in the MOOD for loving!

Oh yeah; it was brutal. I kept reporting it at my checkups, and the doc would poke me for a bit, then pronounce it 'prodromal, go get some rest.' And then the real thing was back labour, so it didn't even do much of anything. Hopefully the theoretical next time will be easier.

I envy you the no BH contrax; it's damn lucky that they caught the early true contractions, though - an acquaintance of ours had a 27-week preemie, and that is scary, scary shit. He's absolutely fine now, and all caught up to his age group from what I've heard, but he's still got all kinds of future health risks.

But this?



This does not compute. Mind you, I ended up with moderately awful PPD and pubic symphysis separation (along with home-visit physio and support belts afterwards and all that good stuff), so that may have coloured my reactions some. But I was a goddess of love after first trimester nausea ended, and it took a very long time to get back into that groove afterwards.

Wow! After all of that, I'm sure you are chomping at the bit for another baby!

Are you thinking of adding another one down the road or was that the end of the road?

We'll go for one more; our desire not to leave Bean an only child trumps the year of hell. But I'll be much more closely watched, and watching, next time, I think. We originally wanted three, but given how pregnancy went, unless #2 winds up being twins (a very real possibility - they run in my family), we'll probably stop at two.

You've got quite the houseful; I'm in the middle of four (two older stepsisters and a biological younger brother), and it was barely controlled bedlam. How's everyone adjusting to the idea of another one incoming?

sorry, but i clicked in here by accident, and now i have to run away to scrape out my mind's eye. scuse me.

EW EW EW EW EW EW EW EW EW EW

Oh, please, Kashim- it isn't like anyone has posted a recipe for sauteed placenta! And trust me- there ARE recipes out there!



The kids are really good with our Bub- he's the Ruler of the House, undisputed. In fact, he's sitting in bed next to me and my hubby, rolling back and forth acting like a goober at the moment (how else can an almost 3 year old act?). So the older kids SEEM pretty happy with another one on the way, but we're done after this. We like travelling here and there (camping trips, DisneyLand, across the country to DisneyWorld) and with 4 kids- it's really going to be stretching our budget getting places. Heck, right now- I want desperately to take my Hubby to Germany, where I grew up, but can't do it because of the kids (flying two people? Not too bad. Flying six to Europe? Yeeah. Not going to happen!)

I hope your next pregnancy is a lot smoother then your first! At least with the PPD, you know you've had it before, so you can proactive. Is there anything you can do about the pubic symphisis separation? Will it definitely happen again or is that a maybe?

It's pretty much a given that the PSS will kick in again, probably earlier on than the first time, sadly. But at least I know this time that it's not just the normal level of aches and pains. I'm going to end up with a belly support rig of some kind, I'm sure - those fancy belts that spread the pressure. My doctor actually had it with all three of hers and ended up on modified bedrest in her third pregnancy, G-d help me. We'll have to keep our fingers crossed that it doesn't get that bad.

And man - I quake at the cost of flying with Bean once she's over 2 and no longer free; four kids would be a heck of a hit to the bank account, not to mention wrangling two toddlers in the airport. We did road trips once we were four kids in my family; lots and lots of road trips.

Germany, btw? Very cool! Are your kids learning the language?

No- I was a military brat so I didn't take the time to learn the language myself (shameful!). Spent almost 10 years there- I know a bit of French, but not enough German to get by. Would love to take some classes at the local college here when I get the time to actually DO something fun like learn again- LOL! (When you are a kid- you can't wait to get out of school- now, I just want to get back in!) But there is so much I want to show my Hubby about my childhood and my life- and no matter what, it involves a very loooong plane ride. The prices to go over there for two weeks for two adults seem to be pretty decent- but once you start adding more people, ouch!

I know just going cross-country from west coast to Florida with... 6 people (took my sis with us) to DisneyWorld was about $1600 in plane tickets alone. Sucks when the plane tickets cost more then the rest of the trip!

Well, we did more 'walking' (blah!) yesterday- mall and two stores- thought I was about ready to die... Nothing. Tomorrow is my doctor's appointment where I'll talk to him about stripping membranes (never had this happen before- sounds DISGUSTING) to try to get labor going and also schedule an induction for this weekend in case things don't happen on their own. Keeping my fingers crossed that somewhere in the next few days, this kid gets the hint and comes on his own. I SO don't want an induction, but I don't think it'd be right to have the baby and poor hubby only get a day or two with him before heading out of town.

I've had a lot of luck with my symphysis by getting some chiro attention, but I kind of want to beat on my chiro for not warning me that it was going to get worse before it got better. UGH! OW!

Mine was misaligned though, I'm pretty sure the full separation is a different kettle of fish. I feel for you; when mine hurts I'm crippled by freakin' sidewalk curbs.


A girlfriend of mine had her water broken and it was basically that they took a slender crochet hook and made a little hole to get things rolling. She said it was very benign, except that the slow water felt like urine, so she started giggling, and then the midwife said that was making it gush, at which point she went into hysterics.

But getting your water broken is different from membrane stripping. Membrane stripping, if my mind remembers right, involves separating the (shoot) amniotic sac from the wall of the uterus at the cervix- while your water can break while it's being done, that's not what you are aiming for- you are trying to prompt your body into a more spontaneous labor then actually being induced. AND it might not help AND it might take more then once to kick start your body into labor... While getting your water broken means you SHOULD deliver within 24 hours just because of the chance of infection. So membrane stripping doesn't commit you to labor and delivery at that point, but getting your water broken does.

I THINK.

LOL.

From what I read, the doctor can strip the membranes in the office during a cervical check. I'm already leery of those- feels like he's reaching straight for my tonsils, as they say!

Gween- do you know what you are having? Are you nervous about a homebirth or pretty excited? I think it's awesome that people can choose to birth at home and have a nice relaxed labor and delivery (as much as possible). Me- with the kids, cats, and dogs, and constant mess- I'd be too busy cleaning the house versus even trying to relax if I had this kid at home!

Stripping the membranes isn't the same thing, though - I had my water broken about eight hours into my labour with Bean, and it was the crochet hook thingy. Stripping the membranes is done to induce labour, and it's separating the amniotic sac from the cervix, I think, with a finger swipe. I've never had it done, but some friends have and have described it as varying from vaguely uncomfortable to really Not Happy.

edit: hee! Crosspost!