Well, CarbJunky2, we all hope you have a good birth for this child. I hope you'll have some great news for us soon.

Congrats Meg! Sounds like a really fast delivery for a first timer! Yahoo! Hope you're feeling good and the bee-bee too!

I think this thread shold be used to continue post partum.. no reason not to.
My immediate goals are to go for a longer walk every day.. and starting today actually do some daily abdominal strengthening stuff. On our walk yesterday evening I started off well but shortly into felt like I was falling out at all ends - my stomach and pelvic floor.
Food for this week? Stick to the normal breakfast I eat and limit "bad" stuff to one meal. By bad I mean the potato dumplings and other stuff MIL stuffed our fridge with last Sunday. I have a pretty good motivator NOT to eat junk, I feel like if it's bad for my system it's bad for baby's system and if he were to break out or have gas or whatever from something I ate I would feel SOOO bad. I ate pizza the other day and he woke up the next morning with some small red welts on his face. Whether they were form the pizza crust or not (I react badly to wheat) I felt like it was my fault. I'm not really hungry at all and don't care if there isn't much variety in my food life as long as the nutrition is there.

(cheering) I actually had a nap today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is a breakthrough. The neighbours have been having me over for lunch every day which is soo nice of them but the problem is I have to set up baby before hand to be sleeping. By the time we're finished and I am home it's just about time for baby to eat again.. and then it's diapers and this and that and so on, basically I get no sleep ever because he doesn't sleep at night and I don't sleep during the day. He's been out for about 4 hours now, will feed and change him and go for a walk with him in the sling.

Congratz on the nap! I'm finding them a very tricky thing to accomplish with a 2.5 yr old and a 3 week old. But 2 days ago it was so nice when they were both sleeping for once at the same time and I got to lay down for an hour.

So I lost another 2 lbs this week. Not too shabby! I've lost 8 lbs since having Piper. It's good considering I starting retaining lots of water for a few days after she was born. But that went away and I'm exercising here and there by taking walks and eating much better now. I've been eating small amounts of healthy grains, not overdoing it.

Goals for this week (from today until Sunday):
1) Drink more water
2) Continue to keep my milk drinking to a moderate amount (it has been easy for me to overdo it, but I've been good lately)
3) Keep drinking a little lactofermented drink every day, kvass and beet kvass
4) Eat mostly veggies, protiens, and lots of good fats (raw butter, sour cream, cream ... coconut oil)
5) Eat some healthy grains (soaked or sprouted) very moderately....like only 1 or 2 medium slices of whole grain bread the whole day etc.
6) Eat fruit in moderation, like 1 to 2 servings a day at the most
7) Keep the WD ideas in mind...eat small amounts of raw veggies and protiens during the day...I've been sticking with mostly a little milk, nuts, cheese, raw veggies and raw fruit during the day...and the big healthy protien like a nice rare steak and cooked veggie etc at night. I've been drinking 1 or 2 cups of coffee during the day as well. Not every day but like 2 or 3 days, and then I don't for a day or two.
I've been following this model all week and its working very well for me so far. Losing weight and not having so many cravings for junk.
8) I'm at 237 lbs right now, a mini weight loss goal is to weigh 235 by this Sunday.
9) I am going to attempt some T Tapping today and if its okay I am going to try doing it maybe every other day or maybe twice a week. I will see how I feel when I do it and how I feel after as well.

Hope everyone is doing well. I know a lot of you are close the end of your pregnancies..how are you all feeling? How are you doing on goals?

Just wanted to send a quick update. I had another Level 2 ultrasound yesterday and they estimated Eric weighed anywhere from 9 pounds 15 ounces to 10 pounds 10 ounces. The perinatologist who performed the scan was surprised when I told her about the decision of my OB's not to induce. She said she'll talk to them. Not sure what that will do, but I won't stop her. Jason and I thought of another option for us as well, and that was to go back to the high-risk OB I started out seeing and find out if they'll see me again and maybe induce me at this point. We'll just have to see what happens. I'm still confident that Eric can be born whole and healthy without having to resort to a C-Section. Even at 10 pounds. This scan was actually reassuring to me. Eric's growth seemed much more on target for the past two weeks instead of the HUGE jump suspected previously. I thought maybe my lack of a low-carb lifestyle may have contributed to Eric's potential birth weight, but going back to what I was doing all pregnancy (except for that couple of weeks a while back, I think Sept 23rd through Oct 5th, where I did no sugar and very low carb... that was when he supposedly gained 2 whole pounds in a week and a half!) of allowing myself all food groups just being careful about portions and proportions in the meals... his growth has slowed back down to normal compared to that very low-sugar span of time. Must be the polish in my genes.

We are all eager to have a resolution to all this uncertainty about the outcome of this pregnancy and Eric's health and WHEN he'll arrive, that's for sure.

I'll update again asap.

Carbjunky we're hoping for you!! I can't wait to hear about your birth - so soon!!

Today was sort of good sort of not. WE didn't have much food in the house..
Breakfast was eggs and toast and liverwurst, dinner was a few spoonfuls of peanutbutter with some raw honey. Snacks were some bites of a sausage and a few crackers. I have turkey marinating.. maybe I'll eat some of it later with butter. I don't understand how ONE baby can make me too busy to eat.

I did go for an hour long walk with baby in the sling to the supermarket to get pjs and a big button up shirt and some turkey. Until now I did not own a single pair of pjs.. well my grandmother gave me a long shirt pj this summer so I had that. Now I need them because of all the time spent out of bed in the chilly bedroom air...and to soak up the milk leaking from the boob that baby is not feeding on at the moment.

It's nice to put baby in the sling and walk . I did that a few days ago. I put Piper in the sling, and pushed Jakob in a stroller and we walked to the store. The weather has been great, it's not torture to be outside anymore!

Well, I've gone ahead with being grain free. I always try for eating healthy whole grains, soaked grains etc. Doesn't work when I'm trying to lose weight though. So I've been grain free for 3 days. I've been keeping my carbs at about 50 grams a day and my milk supply is great. I'm also taking alfalfa every day and that increases milk supply so that's a good thing.

I haven't done anything for exercise except walks so far. I am going to try again this week at getting started with T-Tapping (an exercise program I have on DVD). I'm just so tired when there is actually time to do it when both kids are sleeping.

let me know what you think about the ttapping! I'm going to start dry brushing soon, once I get a semi schedule sort of in order and can find time for personal grooming. LOL I feel lucky when I can pee

I was happy today to discover I CAN do a lunge, I had been wondering since I felt so out of shape lately. Tomorrow I have a workout goal - can't set any numbers since I don't know my fitness level:

lunges
squats
romanian deadlifts
row - not sure if I'll do dumbell or barbell
abs
back extensions
calf raises
Maybe some other things I haven't written down

I have food goals too!
Eat the leftover steak with bean sprouts + soy sauce
milk+eggs+quark
tiny snack of dark chocolate if any
NO BREAD OR POTATOES (including dumplings) OR CRACKERS
Possible leberknodle, though they're carby

Just cheering you on Meg with the no bread, potatoes or crackers. You can do it! I know it can be really hard. For me at least, especially right now because they are both easy to grab and also very emotionally satisfying foods which makes them all the more enticing since I'm tired and cranky a lot lately.

Well, I lost another 2 lbs since being really good about eliminating grains

I've lost 10lbs in 4 weeks, not too shabby! Jamie is supposed to start waking up earlier so he can help me get things done (this is his own idea). That includes watching the kids so I can work out. So that should be happening within a weeks time.

I think my love of raw milk could stall my weight loss too, I think it was. We have cut down our milk consumption. I'm not going to eliminate it completely, it's way to healthy a food to cut out for me. But like 1 or 2 cups a day is enough. And if I have 2 cups I shouldn't eat fruit that day, etc.

I'm going to go brew something...some coffee or yerbamate tea. I think I will go for the mate today, it's got stevia leaf in it so you don't have to add sweetner....Yerbamate Royale it's called. Good stuff.

How is everyone doing?

I could be better. I'm trying hard not to blow a gasket at this point. I walked out of my OB's office this morning because they seemed to forget I was even there. I had a NST, was told I'd be checked on after 10 minutes, about 1/2-way through the test, and I ended up unhooking myself after 40 minutes and walking out. Still haven't gotten a call asking where I am or anything. First they won't induce me, they want to Section me because Eric MAY be ~9 pounds, then they start forgetting I'm even there. I don't need that grief. It's not good for my blood pressure, my blood sugars, or my baby. No wonder the poor kid doesn't want to come out.

My goal for the weekend is to wrap up a few loose ends, eat and drink healthfully, and do lots of meditation with candles, incense, the works. I have NO plans to go back to the OB's office, not even for prenatal care at this point, so pray Eric comes by Monday.

Good heavens, CarbJunky2. I can't believe they did that to you. In a way I can, because I got forgotten once during a 3-hour GTT, but I wasn't pregnant at that time, for heaven's sake. Nor was anything in my arm!
I am really shocked.

My pregnancy is fine, although my blood sugar isn't so great. I'm working on that.

I would like everyone to say extra prayers for Abbie. She has a continuing problem with her heart that in general is not a problem but could become a problem if she should get sick before it resolves. She has what is called a PDA(Patent Ductus Arteriosis), and an ASD (Atrial Septal Defect) which is causing a problem called PFC (Persistent Fetal Circulation). These problems are normal inutero, they are what keeps blood going to the lungs for oxygenation since the baby is getting its oxygen from mother, when born they are to close so blood goes to the lungs properly. Right now she is okay with it, but it could be a problem as she grows if they don't close. Usually they do in most newborns. She doesn't have any other problems with her heart, she has had one echocardiogram, and she sees a cardiologist in about 3 weeks. We would love to have a few prayers on her behalf that they close on their own, and no other problems develop.
Thank you and love to you all,
This is a copy of an email I sent to family and figured I would copy it here. For the most part this is not a problem, it is the PFC that could cause major problems and can be very hard to fix if it should worsen.

This is part of why I haven't posted much about the birth in the past few days. As I mentioned it was very fast, I went from 4cm to delivery in about 15 minutes, probably less in actuality since I wasn't watching the clock and just my husband and my sister at that point, I couldn't tell you. A first year resident delivered Abbie. She is fine and happy otherwise, eating well, and for the most part sleeping well until she is in a cluster feeding. Thanks for your prayers.
Tanya

I went in to the OB's office today, ended up having the full spectrum of testing - non-stress test, ultrasound, doppler to listen to Eric's heartbeat, checked me to see if I'm progressing. I am, a little more than before, but not much. Just 3 cm and 80% effaced. The OB today wanted me to walk across the street to the hospital to deliver at once. Eric was having a very sleepy morning and the doc got all worried that he's not doing well because I'm 'past my due date' and according to her that increases the risk that Eric will die tremendously. Frankly I think she's full of sh*t because a 'term' pregnancy is anywhere from 38 to 42 weeks and I'm only 2 days over 40 weeks at this point.

I refused to even consider 'delivery' today, at first because from these OB's 'deliver' has meant C-Section for the last month, but apparently this doc is worried enough about Eric that she's willing to break the amniotic sac. As my husband knows all too well, I don't deal well with changes in plans so I actually had to think about this! Considering I'm at home right now writing this email, you can assertain I didn't go into the hospital from that appointment. I needed time to weigh my options, talk to my Mom, etc.

I *think* we're going to do it; go into the hospital in the morning and have them break my amniotic sac and go from there. I'm worried it's going to be a battle from that point on. The doc gave me a 6 hour window if I am NOT progressing before it's C-Section time. I don't feel I agree with that. If Eric is not in distress, why force some arbitrary time limit just so the doctor doesn't have to deliver me at 2am?

Part of me really wants to do this naturally without any intervention, etc. Am I mucking with things if I agree to have them do this? It's been a journey getting back to a point where I have faith in my body and that it will happen when it's meant to happen and Eric and I will be ok, and now I'm being given this opportunity to possibly speed things along, but it also carries the risk that it won't work and I'll be forced to undergo surgery to avoid an infection.

I'm torn. Any advice would be appreciated. Please understand that the last reason I would do this is for my own comfort. I *am* worried about Eric, but not as much as the doctors obviously. His pattern is such that he's active for a week or so and then has a couple of down days and he has been active at least a few times already today, just not when the doctor's wanted him to be. My Mom's first words when I told her about this new option were "Do it" and my DH doesn't want to look a gift horse in the mouth. If the OB is willing to do this for me at this point, he wants to take them up on the offer. Why am I still so unsure?

Thanks in advance for anything you can advise.

Carbjunky2 ~ Your OB sounds like my worst nightmare! I wouldn't go in to be induced either. 40w2d is nothing to worry about at all! Neither is a 9lb baby. Being induced when your body isn't ready is what leads to problems and having to get a c-section, but it sounds like your OB likes to do them as a first choice. My OB told me that a lot of them schedule inductions or c-sections because it's more convenient for THEM...nevermind that it's not necessarily what's best for the mother and baby. Plus I can't believe she's giving you a 6 hour time frame!

I was induced with DS and DD and regret it so much now because I feel like I wasn't actually a PART of my labor. I was just there, following orders, kind of watching from afar. It's made me very determined to go naturally this time. I really feel like I missed out on something the other 2 times (I'm not sure what though) BTW..my DD weighed 9lbs2oz and the delivery went very smoothly. No problems or tearing at all!

I think you should go with how YOU feel. If the baby is doing fine and is healthy there's nothing wrong with waiting to see if he'll come out and greet the world when HE decides But if you're ready to meet your little guy then go for it!