Yeah, it has been hot on the west coast as well. I my thremometer said 105 in the shade. Yes, it does get hot in the NW.

Confession: I just ate 4 carbsmart chocolate covered icecream bars for dinner
Hey, it's hot out OK
At least I did not go out and buy the real full sugar kind

I'm glad to hear everything is alright with the munchkin, Bandito, and that everybody else is doing OK. I haven't had any ultrasounds but my midwife and her assistant gave me an update last week since it's big enough to feel all the major limbs now. While she was listening to the heartbeat the baby gave the stethescope a couple of big kicks. It's currently head down and I hope it remains that way for the next few weeks as I head into the home stretch. It's so cool to watch my belly dance when the baby is awake...and it seems to be staying awake for longer periods of time or waking more frequently. I can't wait to meet him/her.

Kristie- When talking to my friends who have young children, I have heard that bleeding can be common but it is scary. I hope the doctor continues to give you reassurance and it passes without any further cause for concern. I will keep you in my thoughts.

Also, I did have my first ultrasound at 8 weeks, and we saw the heartbeat. The baby just looked like a little peanut. I think this US is the one where they make sure the placenta is in a good place. Do I need to drink water before I go? They didn't tell me that part. I guess I should call.....

I have gone 11 and a half weeks with very little morning sickness. Lets just say today I was not so lucky. All I did was brush my teeth, but I am feeling better now. It may have been the humidity because this morning's walk was really tough. Lisa- I am outside Phila, and it is hot here too. I certainly know how you are feeling.

Catalyst- That is very exciting. I can't even imagine what its like to feel the baby moving around inside. How is it working with a midwife?

Hi ladies...it's early in the morn and I'm headed for camping in Lake George (for those neighbors who know the state) so that'll be a LONG car ride for us to get there...but it should be worth it. We'll be on an island so I've tried to pack well for comfort, but as long as I'm well-fed and wearing a swim suit, I'll be very happy. It's a well-needed respite for us both considering what a busy wedding season we've had so far!

Have a great weekend, stay healthy and cool everyone and I'll check in Monday!

jesslive - I really like my midwife. She has an awesome bedside manner and keeps on my back about eating properly. She's a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) who gives great pre-natal care and presides at home births exclusively. She's also an ex-hippy and her assistant is an herbalist, so I've been drinking various teas high in vitamins and minerals since I started seeing her like Nettles and Raspberry Leaf. I have had very few problems in my pregnancy. Like most healthcare providers I had to sell her on my decision to eat lower levels of carbs. She came around after she saw how well I've been doing at each visit. My blood pressure has come down almost 20 points since my first visit and I haven't had problems with excess sugar or protein in my urine samples. My weight has also stayed relatively stable and I've only had one little cold since I've been pregnant. Basically me and baby are as healthy as a horse.

Jess,
I had another US last night, and I did not need to drink any water. The hosp US tech said that you are usually supposed to, but we got a nice clear view anyways. They usually will tell you before hand. It woudnt hurt anything if your drank the 32oz of water an hour before your schedualed appt. Then ask the tech if you can use the restroom.

Another update
Last night I had a massive subchorionic hemmorrhage
I bled somthing like one super absorbant maxipad every 45minutes. (to the point of oversaturation) Started like an hour before work so it was too late to "call in" plus it was old blood at first and I was told that was ok. Then it just kept pouring out like a RIVER. My fellow staff were able to absorb my pts and I went downstairs to the ER. There was an hour and a half wait, but they took me next. I cant tell if it was becasue worked there/was a nurse/or simply that I was a "bleeder".

Had what had to be the most uncomfortable pelvic exam by the ER doc. Cervix still closed and is firm. Had a detailed ultrasound. Baby showing NO signs of distress, in fact doing the "baby dance" across the screen.

Now get this......
I have a massive clot now measuring.....drumroll please.........
4.8cm X 6.0cm X 2.8cm!!!!!!!!! This located directley over my cervix.
Holy crap!!!!!!!
Lost a fair bit of blood, feeling a bit weak.
Saw my primary today and she says that she thinks everything will be ok and that the baby is doing great, in fact has grown an EXTRA 3 days in the last week. She wants me to rest for a couple days, then gave me the green light to go back to work sunday night. I am on lifting restrictions though........

My doc says that this is fairly common in weeks 8-12. The placenta is laying down new ground and the blood vessles are exposed. She says she sees this a lot in the week 16-18 US and they are usually on the top. They mom doesnt bleed because it is all trapped and it clots off and is ok. Mine happend directly over my crevix and the pressure just pushed the blood out an obvious exit. I contined to bleed because I did not build enought pressure to clot it off. (she said that I will continue to bleed through the first half of my pregnancy) Hopfully it will be old blood from this huge clot I now have.

I am trying sooooo hard not to be a high maintenance patient. This crap keeps happening to me. It sucks. Why cant things just go like most peoples pregnancies?

Kristie, I'm so glad your baby is OK but sorry you have to go through all that. Don't worry about being high maintenance-it's not like you were in there complaining about nothing-that is a lot of blood and I'm sure it was very scary.

Catalyst- Thank you for the information. I think I may be interested in trying a midwife assisted birth if I have another pregnancy. I am still learning about being pregnant and the whole birth process, and a lot of it really scares me. I have been reading about midwives and about natural birth, and it seems very appealing to me. Are you having a home birth or are you going to a birthing center?

Kristie- You must be one strong woman to be keeping it together especially since the baby isn't showing signs of distress. Don't worry about the high maintenance thing. There's nothing you can do, but try your best to keep your stress levels down. I will continue to keep you and your baby in my thoughts this weekend.

Lisa- I hope you have fun at Lake George. Isn't that where Georgie the Lake Monster lives. Maybe you will catch a glimpse.

Kristie - I can't even imagine the worry all this is giving you. I'd be pretty freaked out if I even saw a drop much less that much bleeding. I'm glad the baby is thriving though.

jesslive - I am shooting for a home birth with the midwife and possibly her apprentice there. My mom will be lending a hand too I'm sure. This is my first, but I've never really imagined having a baby any other way. My mother had all 3 of us at home with no prenatal care. Her's was just a "granny" midwife who's only training was the hundreds of births she'd attended.

I've had the luxury of a highly trained midwife who is also a certified child birth instructor, intensive nutritional counseling and nice hour long visits. I had initially seen a hospital based midwife, but it was as bad as seeing a doctor. A long wait punctuated by a brief 10 or 15 minute visit and out the door again. If I was just a bit closer, I'd love to have had my care and birth at the birthing center at "The Farm" in middle Tennessee. I'm about 2-1/2 hours away though and gas is too dear to drive that route back and forth.

It is illegal to practice midwifery in my neighboring state of Georgia. I living in a bordering city in Tennessee where it is legal and they can seek certification. As a result we have alot of midwives and doulas based here who service both states and have a nice pool from which to select. So that's nice and competition keeps the prices down. I'm also close to 3 or 4 great hospitals just in case something comes up my midwife is not equipped to handle.

The thought of birthing at home always appealed to me. Well, since the birth of my first. I would have been better off at home. I did not sign up for natural childbirth, but thats what I got. My nurse was awful too. At least you know who will be walking though that door, no suprises. You can move around your own space while you labor, kneel on your own floor whatever you want to do. I remember after giving birth with my first, thinking that I soooo could have done that better at home!
I am strangly in awe of all of the people I hear, and know, that elect to have their babies at home. I wish I was not so chicken. I just know somthing will go wrong should I elect to LOL!

Good luck to you. I have a good friend that had all 3 of hers at home. She said that it was a positive experience and in hindsight would not have changed a thing. I believe her!

This sounds very much like Placenta Previa to me. Is this what your doctor diagnosed it as? This can be a pretty serious condition for you as well as your baby. I don't mean to scare you but my daughter had this condition with her son just this past year. Her's was a "complete" rather than a partial Previa so she was in real danger and needed to be very careful. Thank the Lord, everything went very well but she needed to have the baby a month early and by C-section so that she would not go into labor. If the placenta is directly over the cervix, a woman can bleed to death if she goes into labor. Her ultra sound at 18 weeks revealed the position of the placenta - which can move out of the way later on - but her's never shifted. Please make sure that this is not what is going on with you, okay??? Just a worried Grandma here! Again, I don't want to scare you but sometimes we have to be our own advocate for our health and I am pretty concerned about this...having "seen" it second hand.

Didy,
This is indeed partially what is happening to me. Only the tail end is right next to my cervix. My MD is hopefull that it will back off as I stretch and grow. The rest of the placenta is intact and up the side of the uterus. I am glad to hear that your daughters pregnancy went ok, other than what had to a nerve wracking pregnancy. Poor thing.

You dont need to tell me about the danger of bleeding to death...... I lost almost a LITER of blood in four hours! Good thing I started out with a HCT of 41.8. I have never been anemic in my life! Now I know how it feels.
Thank you for your concern, that was very sweet of you to take the time to write that.

Yikes Kristie! I bet you were pretty frightened!! Your previa does sound like the kind that will stretch and get the heck out of the way so that your little one can be born happy and healthy!! So glad about that! You take care of yourself now and let people wait on you a bit!!

My daughter always "tries" to look on the bright side of things and she said that the good part about having the complete previa was that she didn't have to have any of those painful pelvic exams throughout the rest of her pregnancy, AND she had frequent ultra sounds so we got to see Jetty as he grew!! It was pretty scary for all of us though - we made sure that all of us could be reached at a moments notice in case she started to bleed - being the mom and future grandma, I was tempted to move in with them...but I wanted my son-in-law to still love me . Man O' Malley, kids are just such wonderful miracles!!

Hi ladies...I'm back from camping and it was fun, though I have to admit I'm glad I wasn't "more pregnant" for the truly roughing-it romp. You have no idea how happy I am to be in a bathroom with running water! LOL

Kristie, I'm both worried for you and relieved at the same time that you got through this recent scare and it's "under control" so to speak. I'm always amazed at our medical options now (the tests, the knowledge) and how with just knowing what's going on, we can continue to do the right thing and make sure our children stay healthy. You are doing such an incredible job with yours considering all the trials and tribulations (that your baby wasn't in distress at all says a lot!). Hang in there, hon!!

Just wanted to let you all know I am still here, LOL. My class work for this one class i took over the summer has kept me very busy, as well as work, and trying to have a life, LOL.

Eating-wise i'm doing good. I overdid it a little this past weekend, as we had a christmas in july party to go to. I ended up sleeping off the sugar for about a day and a half, LOL. At least my body tells me it is miserable when i do that, so i dont' wnat to do it again.

I have no clue how i managed to get through the first couple of months eating crap! I do it now and it totally puts me out of commission. I did it though, ate Crap until mid-May when i went back to semi-LC, so i feel for all of you who are going through the tough beginning now, where everything healthy you liked before is unappealing all of a sudden.

Kristie, sorry to read about all the stuff you are going through. I hope you are doing OK with it all. Take it easy - as much as you can anyway.

Well, I'm off to make dinner and work on the baby blankets some before i do more homework (thank goodness this clas is over July 26th!). I'm working on 2 baby blankets simultaneously - Knitting one for my own baby and crocheting one for a friends baby who is due in December. I always have to have more than one project going! LOL. I'm also figuring out the placement of the baby animal patterns i'll be cross stitching on another blanket, LOL.