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hey girls...well, first let me say thanks to each of you...for taking the time to answer my questions and to explain a csection. You know, we are encouraged to go to lamaze and do all these things to mentally and physically prep for the "big day" but with the c-section, all I received was a letter in the mail scheduling my cx date, which is by the way, 4/12, unless labor starts sooner. Like you all, I'm having contractions too daily. Today they are lower,in my pelvic region but sharp and only 2-seconds in duration. Nothing regular though. I don't think it's "it" yet though either, but what do i know. I'm a newbie to delivery. Just wanted to tell you how thankful i am to have you girls here to guide, support and share stories with. And although it all stinks that we're c's, it's good to have others to go thru it with. Have a fabulous Sunday girls!

Hey Runner, I'll keep my fingers crossed that it happens sooner for you. As for me no baby yet, contractions went until about 3 am and finally stopped. I've been having some painful ones this morning but nothing regular. I feel like they are either regular and not painful or painful but not reuglar. But definitely more frequent these last few days. My dh is all worried b/c this wake and funeral are 90 miles away, I told him it'll be ok, i know he can drive fast if he needs to. :)

Hello ladies! I agree Krissy. I was thinking about how we are all having c-sections thats weird and seems likes thats the way to have a baby now. I wonder/think DR's might even prefer us to have c-sections. If you think about it they're sceduled for the time they pick (or at least mine is), they dont have to spend long hours of the day or night waiting for some lady to have her baby after 24 hrs of being in labor. That means they can probably get home at a certain time to spend with their families hmmm.... I guess for those of us who are having our 2nd c section we will have to have another if we want more children. Runners-i just got my letter in the mail also about my scheduled c. You're lucky in my eyes. April 12th is the day we wanted originally but it was booked. The 9th is the 3rd date we picked so i guess it was meant to be for us unless he comes a bit sooner. We have to be at the hospital at 530am and the procedure is at 730am. No other instructions except not to eat anything 8 to 12 hrs before the surgery. I to have been having braxton hicks. I kind of like the way they feel for some reason. Mine feel like lighter period cramps and my stomach gets really tight. I think I like it because I'm getting more excited and anxious that that's my little guy in there and we soon get to meet him. lol, i don't know if this is now dawning on me, but isn't it crazy we all have a teeny tiny human beings growing in our bellies whom are able to survive outside the womb if they came out now. I know my little guy was 6 1/2lbs last tuesday, so it's also crazy that im able to hold a baby with that weight and he's going to gain 1/2lb every week untill the big day, WOW!!! My next Dr's appointment is 3/25/2010 looking forward to this visit also and just wondering if I'm efaced or dialated at all. I know with Julia I saw my dr about a week and a half before my due date and I was hoping he'd tell me I was dialated or efaced and he said I wasn't and that he'd see me probably the next week for my visit, so I was a bit bummed out (I think it was a Wed). His a__sistant told me after he left the room that she noticed my nose was a bit swollen and her grandmother would tell people that the baby is coming sooner then they thought when they had a swollen nose. I didn't think anything of it, but I did end up going into labor Friday late afternoon around 5pm. I guess anything can change within a short amount of time ladies. One day it's nothing and they'll see us at our next appt and then the next day we could actually deliver. Be on your toes ladies!!!

well we made it thru the funeral without having a baby, which is good b/c we hit construction on the way back and it added about 20 min to our commute. I'm contracting all the time now it seems and it's driving me crazy b/c i either want it to lead to real labor or to stop. I'm just so ready for my little man to be here. The u/s tech tells me he's really cute! :)

Krissy- I feel you. This morning I woke up around 430 contracting for 3 hours and very confused on if it was the real thing. I was thinking the same thing that this better be it or stop, but what do you know Im still sitting here with no baby. I need another week or so. My appointment is tomorrow I wonder if i was dialating at all? Ill keep you guys posted.

Hi Tara. I'm sorry for my delay. It has been a crazy busy week...or so it seems. Maybe it just feels that way since I am down to less than 2 weeks. Regarding my birth plan -- I must admit that I had no idea about birth plans. I have had friends mention them in pa__sing, but that was it. So...I started searching the internet, looked at a few different examples, and stole what is relevant to our situation. Here is a little bit of my birth plan. I would be happy to email my full copy to anyone interested. I just figure it is too much to post. This birth plan is intended to express the preference and desires we have for the birth of our baby during a cesarean. It is not intended to be a script. We fully realize that situations may arise such that our plan cannot and should not be followed. However, we hope that barring any extenuating circ_mstances, you will be able to keep us informed and aware of our options. Thank you. C-Section • I wish to have my husband accompany me in the operating room at all times. We request the option to take pictures. • Please do not permit observers such as interns, students or unnecessary staff into the room without my or my husband’s permission. Interns and students are not to participate in the surgery. • I prefer an epidural anesthesia. • I do not consent to the insertion of the urinary catheter until after anesthesia has taken effect. • I may want more children v____ally. I would prefer a low, transverse incision to be able to attempt a VBAC. • I do not consent to tying my arms down unless I am unable to control them. In that case, I would prefer to have at least one hand released after the baby is delivered to be able to touch the baby. Overall, my birth plan is one page in length.

Hello ladies, how is everyone feeling, i'm tired as usual, but i know everyone else is too so i can't complain too much. Tara, aren't those contractions annoying? I don't remember contracting this much with my dd, the last thing i want though is to go to the hospital and be hooked up to monitors for hours and then be sent home. Vsetter, your birth plan sounds good to me. Have you talked to your doctor about it? I don't see why they couldn't accomidate any of those things, except of course if something crazy comes up, but i don't think that will happen. Well my appt is tomorrow, we'll see if i progressed any, not like it really matters though.

Last night i woke up to the most painful contraction i've ever had, i couldn't even move, and i'm like "this is it!, I'm going into labor!" and then nothing happened :( Ugh! Why does my body have to play tricks on me like that? Anyway i had my ob appt on thrusday, nothing exciting to report. I've had a lot more discharge, if that means anything. On a more positive note some of my co-workers threw me a surprise baby shower. I really was surprised, b/c i had thought if they were going to do anything they would have done it a couple of weeks ago. Mostly i got outfits but that's cool b/c i was needing them. I also went to a yard sale today and this woman had more baby clothes to sell than i've ever seen, just bins and bins of it, boys and girls, so i was able to stock up for pretty cheap, i should be good thoughout the summer and into fall.

I still feel you Krissy. I'm sitting here at work feeling my stomach tighten up (nothing major), and then I feel something trickling into my panties. Guess what? It's nothing but discharge lots of it. Did you happen to have s_x before you started feeling the contractions? I did and I took my daughter out for a walk that day to test out our new Joovy Caboose DOuble sit n stand stroller. I wonder if thats why I felt them so strong that morning. I went to my dr appt on the 25th and I'm not even dialated at all. My daughters bday is the the 7th, so Im trying to plan a birthday dinner with the family. We set it for this tuesday the 30th because I'm afraid the 7th is cutting it to close and would hate to get everything set up and her all excited and then have to drop everything in the midst of it all. Plus I don't want her to resent her baby brother in anyway or feel like we are taking her bday away to be with him. Not sure if she understands it fully, but just taking preventative actions. I was thinking of bringing home a gift for her from her new baby brother Michael also. I just picked up a few easter basket stuff and a swimsuit that I was going to give her for easter, but I think I might say it's from him. What do you think? Anybody still working? I'm at work right now wondering what the heck I'm doing here on this nice sunny day. Tomorrow the 29th is my last day though it'll probably drag on forever and a day.

Vsetter-I think thats a nice birth plan and very well said :)

Hey, Tara. I try to avoid s_x as much as i can, after a while though i can't ignore that sad face on my dh's face, so i give in, he he. It's not that i don't like s_x it's just so uncomfortable right now that i really have no desire for it, so i guess my answer is no. Anyway, we just got that exact same stroller! I love it, and can't wait to have both kids in it. It's easier to put in my car trunk than the graco one i had before. The only think i've noticed is that it doesn't turn as easly and that front try is a pain to get on and off, where is the graco one just lifted up very easly. And of course there is not as much storage space but the trade off is you can put 2 kids in it so i understand. I think that is a good idea to do the party a little early, you wouldn't want to miss it. I'm also planning to give my dd a gift that will be from her brother. I'm not sure how much she'll understand but i think it will help. She's been so wonderful lately that i almost feel guilty that her days as a single kid are numbered. My hope though is that they will grow up and be close and do family things together. Congrats on tomorrow being your last day, I'm working up until the end :( It always seems like such a good idea at the time until you get to the end. The great thing for me is i'm training this girl who is my replacement and she does all the running around for me, like putting patients into rooms and setting up for procedures, makes my life so much easier.

hey girls...sorry i've been MIA...been super tired, lots of discomfort sitting upright and contractions almost daily. Like one of you mentioned, yes, more discharge too. I also had a night like one of you where I had intense contractions, couldn't move for half hour..then nothing. Yesterday, i had regular contractions, every 5 min for 1 hr 45 min, then they stopped (doc says to come in if they're 2 hours). I liked the birth plan too and am using it for me, since i'm also a csection, but must ask...I know it sounds silly becaused we don't care what others think if this is about our babies, but my not-so-nice sister (who's a nurse who once worked in OB, and who hasn't been involved in my entire pregnancy, while she knew full well this is my first baby) mentioned, "oh, you're one of those with a birth plan"...then she proceeded to tell me that thge birth plan is really there to ease the concerns of the mommy but that the drs/nurses willd o what they want anyway...I don't want to walk in looking "difficult" in the drs eyes for asking for strange things, (and nothing on the birth plan above is strange) but don't want to insult their intelligence of what they already know to do. Or, am I just being overly sensitive. i have noticed heightened emotions the last couple of days!!! i also notice thaqt many of our mommies are March mommies, so I'm curious who is still with us for April? I'm scheduled for cs on 4/12, if we don't go naturally sooner, but so far, I'm 37w4d, not dilated and 50% thinning but the scary thing is the dr said this could be the largest baby he's every delivered (and he was head of ob at a hospital before)...she weighed roughly 10 lbs 3 weeks ago! I'm curious if you know anything about the risks the baby could face for being large (and they didn't find Gest Diab with me). Congrats to our new mommies so far...I've seen a few of you on facebooka nd am sooooo happy for your new bundles. If any of you did the CS and could calm my fears, I'd love to hear your input. Happy April Fools Day girls!

In regards to the birth plan: Although I have never done this before, I can actually see your sister's point. Here is why -- Once I wrote my plan, I did feel better. It made me feel a little bit more in control. This past Monday, I went to my OB appt with a list of questions (based on my birth plan). I didn't take the plan with me, but it did help me gather my thoughts. I had questions and got answers. Some of the answers did not match my plan. I didn't argue -- I didn't see a point. She is going to follow her own plan based on her experiences. For example, I learned that my surgery will be done via spinal block (not epidural). She confirmed that she would not tie my hands down. She indicated that I would be able to hold the baby (with dh help) while she stiched me back up, but I would not be able to b___stfeed until recovery. She confirmed that it would be a low, horizontal cut put back together with stiches (not staples). I'm happy with what she told me. I don't know if I will actually take the birth plan with me into surgery. But, I will know (and my husband will know) my wishes. I am now thinking that is more important.

Vsetter~I must say thank you, because your birth plan helped me to gather my questions too. I haven't tkaen it to the dr yet to ask all the questions, but it has made em think about things that I wouldn't have ordinarily considered. Funny--(based on the same plan you developed), I also asked about epidural, and the hospital does spinal for better pain relief, they do a low cut (not sure if it's called anything special), they use steristrips not staples and I am not sure about hand tying, but he did say I would see the baby briefly. Did you understand what the significance is re uterine cleaning mentioned on the plan? (minimize risk of infection? did your dr say anything?) I am really glad you put it together, because it's really helped me to gather my thoughts. For me, I do have a couple that I will probably write down (he needs to check for hernia now that I have a low abdominal lump, he needs to check baby's sugar asap, and to keep an eye out for any hormonal issues that may have rsulted from a pituitary tumor (which I have). Thx for your input and sharing. :) And ps, I'm home on leave and going just about stir crazy!! lol

Runner, hang in there it's almost over and then our babies will be here. Try not to worry too much about the baby's weight ( i know, easier said than done) I've seen so many stories where babies weights were estimated to be really high and once they were born they weren't. Vsetter, I'm glad your doctor was able to ease some of your concerns, it's always nice to know what you can expect. I haven't come up with any sort of birth plan b/c i a__sume since i'm having a c-sect at the same hospital with the same doctor it will probably be very similar to my 1st one, which i thought went pretty well. So i had my last OB appt today, i haven't been checked on dialation in the last few weeks so i really don't know if i'm dialated or not, and really it doesn't matter, if it's going to happen sooner than next wed. it will. And only 2 days left of work, tomorrow and Monday. If i hadn't had to use so many of my days for my fall and my dh's grandma's funeral i would probably have taken monday off. I really don't want to work on Monday, I'm sure i will be worthless. Well have a good Easter everyone, if you make it!

Krissy, thanks for the support and feedback. Only one more day of work...wahoo! I'm just wondering if any of you girls are going thru this completely confused state of emotions that I'm going thru? For one, keep in mind, I'm generally a workaholic...with dh out of work for disability issues and depression which we've previously discussed, alot has always fallen on my shoulders. Now that I'm out of work, I'm struggling with a confused state of self and emotions. First, DH has bene fighting migraines this week so most of the days for me have been spent alone. Then, I think of all these things I can do before baby comes but nearly every thing I attempt, I cannot do alone (my belly is super huge--10-12 baby in there, per drs), so I am encountering frustration that I can't do anything, or, I'm super tired. So, when i do feel ambitious I want to do things that I cannot do. And worse yet, I feel frustrated that the best conversation I had all day was with my estranged sister. I need my dh to be around and involved and i understand what he's going thru, but when he's not there for me, I'm even more frustrated. Then there are days he is there, which renew my love and faith, but my emotions are up and down now. I spent half the afternoon crying and I an't even tell you why other than, I couldn't find any summer clothes to wear and refuse to buy any, didn't know what to do with myself, felt completely alone from friends, and too far from family... Ugh. oh, and let's not forget the peeing almost literally every 5 min because i think she found the who-ha muscles in my pelvic area. Do you think this is a sign it's getting closer? I'm kinda hoping for an easter baby...anyway, I can't tell anyone else what a nut job I sound like right now, but talkign to no one all day long is just about to kill me...maybe I should have stayed at work til the end? (but there was no way I could stay upright all day long). anyway, I guess I could use some prayers from my religious sisters here to not let these emotions get me down. On the good side...we're getting closer...