eejaydiva

franny, i love ya sista! i'm 5 months pregnant...wow. saying it aloud as i type it and still can't believe it sometimes. i think mentally/physically/emotionally, it's not how i always thought it would feel, but it's wonderful. most of my pregnancy has flown by, but the last 2 or 3 weeks have dragged, perhaps since we're looking forward to the ultrasound! mostly, i am grateful and thankful to God for this pregnancy. i have mentioned it before, but i have 2 close girlfriends that have both been struggling with infertility for 2 years now, having had 5 miscarriages between them. seeing their struggle has made me so happy that we got preg fairly quickly and that things are going so well. happily, one of the girlfriends is now about 9 weeks pregnant, so please pray for the other one to get lucky soon too! so, in 72 hours, our baby will have a gender!! i kinda want a girl, kinda want a boy, so it will be wonderful, as long as baby is healthy, moving, and showing it's private parts! hugs!

Far as I know, most docs will pretty much avoid any surgery during pregnancy unless it is an emergency or mandatory. For instance, a friend broke her ankle badly while 8 wks pregnant, so she had surgery as the only way to repair it. The question is, why would you want surgery now anyway? Lap banding is a very emotional journey, giving up old habits and comforts, mourning the loss of certain foods and tons of new processes to think about. Trying to do it while pregnant would be terrible and difficult. As well, everything from gas meds, pain meds, blood thinners, anti-nausea and antibiotics are given during routine band surgery...most of them are not pregnancy friendly.

Cherry, congrats on the boy! I am now about 19 weeks and felt the baby move for the first time 2 days ago...it was amazing! Only felt it once more since then, and it's so faint I had to concentrate and hold still to make sure that's what it was, so I'm looking forward to a nice strong kick soon, even though everyone tells me I'll get sick of it constantly kicking soon enough! We have our 20 wk ultrasound on Friday the 13th....so excited to find out what we're having! Hubby says it's the most excited he's been since our wedding...he's cute. Buying a crib this weekend too, woo!

Thanks and congrats to Christina & GreenC for your "baby rabies" (that had me laughing out loud). Trying to conceive was a fun, stressful and humorous time for me, and I'm glad I didn't wait to get to goal because the timing was in the hands of God and I truly believe it will all work out. YAY!

Congrats! 1. Books: I like What to Expect When you're expecting and it's website, whattoexpect.com . You can sign up, put in your due date and get weekly or daily emails that chart your body's changes, what's happening with the baby's growth, and pregnancy tips. Go to www.justmommies.com and input the date of your last menstrual cycle or the length of your cycle/ovulation and you'll get an excellent DAY BY DAY calendar of your pregnancy, how far along you are, and your due date. FUN FUN! 2. Unfill- I kept my whole fill, which was not super tight, but it gets tempermental on certain days and you have to just be ok with that, I'm only up 4 lbs and my band hasn't been overly tight. Due in 4 months! 3. Spreading the good news- Tell whoever you are ok with knowing in case "bad news" happens (knock on wood). My close friends and family knew pretty quickly, but I kept it from less-close peeps because I watched 2 friends go thru awful miscarriages and the pain of having to share that. You'll be fine, no worries! It's fun.

As of yet, i have not had any unfills. The band definitely has its tempermental days and from what others have posted, I think for the most part, it gets progressively worse thru the pregnancy, so I am hopeful I will keep my whole fill, but not counting on it. I am able to eat most foods just fine, on most days! Thanks for the well wishes.

hi danitra. many of us are still in active pregnancy, the first of our life as banded women, so i am unsure how many post-pregnancy questions we can answer. a few of us like wheetsin and losingjusme are now post-pregnancy and banded, i'm sure they will see this thread too. i'm about 18 wks along, feeling fantastic. other than occasional days of very tight restriction, pregnancy has been smooth sailing for me. very little nausea, just super duper tired all the time. i was down to about 200 lbs when we conceived. i don't feel "done" losing at all yet, but was satisfied with a starting weight of 202 lbs when i got preggo, and am up about 4 lbs so far, meaning if i continue at 1 lb a month, i will gain 9 lbs total. i don't know your current weight, but obviously you want to be a healthy, stable weight. you and i are about the same age, i'll be 28 when i deliver later this summer.

Not to sound dumb, but I have no idea what a pumpkin seat is...thanks for the wrap advice, I may end up still getting one of the harness type ones, with spots for arms and legs instead of the wrap-type, diagonal-across the body ones; they seem more secure and can be used for longer phases of the baby's life, plus our lifestyle is lots of walking, fairs, festivals, outdoor stuff like music festivals, flea markets, etc that would make sense when we don't always wanna bring a stroller. I had my 4 month appointment today, the doc's office consistently lists me a week ahead of my own personal calculations, meaning they had me at 18 wks, I have me at 17, but whatever. I have given up arguing that I know my dates of conception, ovulation, etc because it's a moot point now. If they have me showing at 40 weeks before I actually am, maybe it'll work in my favor since Lord knows I'll be ready to get the baby out by then either way. All was well, the heartbeat was 150 BPM and the baby bean thwumped the heart monitor device several times, which was cool to hear! We get our 20 wk ultrasound on Friday March 13th, which is funny and ominous at the same time, but I'm not very superstitious. Can't wait to find out the sex! I wanted a chance to ask the doc about sleeping on my belly, as I keep waking up that way and am concerned it will harm my tummy, but I can't seem to help rolling over in my sleep! He had only a few minutes because several patients were in labor and he had to get back to the hospital, so I forgot, dummy me.

Fairy, your story about your doc made me sad, I would never put up with that, from anyone. This is supposed to be a happy and memorable experience, and if you don't ask questions because of her general demeanor, I think that you're getting robbed of a good experience. It is a bit late in your pregnancy, but so what? If a girlfriend of yours told that story to you, how would you feel? I'm sorry if this sounds preachy, I truly hate to think of any of us lapband preggos having bad docs, no matter what kind! I've been going to my Gyno for 8 yrs and always knew she would be the one I would continue seeing during pregnancy...I adore her.

My mother in law worked in the NICU and as a labor/delivery nurse for many years. Last week when her and I were out shopping, she pointed to 1 of the womb sounds bears and said that they really worked for colic or restless, prone to crying infants and they would really calm them. Since you have no idea how your baby will be, I would think you could always reserve the idea of one in the back of your mind and end up getting one later, if need be. Fairy, my bella band rolls up/down occasionally on me too, I found tucking the top into the bottom of my bra strap all the way around really helped keep in place.

Hi all, Just checking in. My belly has all of a sudden caught up with my brain and I suddenly look pregnant! Not huge, but kinda cute, poochy, little gut pregnant, to my pleasant surprise. Still only up about 3 lbs, thank GOD, but I'm sure that will speed up soon now that I'm really growing. I've had a "baby gut" for about 4 wks now, but lately I really can't suck it in and it really sticks out after meals! Not in maternity pants yet, but wearing normal size 18 and 16's and they are tight, or carefully unbuttoned under a long, forgiving shirt. I've also learned the trick of looping a rubber band around the button of my unbuttoned jeans and running it across my tummy, thru the button hole on the other side. As well, I've bought a Bella Band at Target for 16 bucks...it rocks! Google it, it's a tummy reinforcer/supporter thingy that turns tight, normal pants into maternity wear and smooths your belly out nicely under your shirts. I also feel like I'm entering nesting phase WAY too early. I am obsessed with getting as much baby stuff as possible, I wanted to buy a bassinet sooooo bad this weekend, and start moving furniture in the current guest room so we could see how much room it will have as the future baby's room. Keep in mind that I don't know the sex of the baby for another 3 or 4 weeks, so there's not a lot I can even do until we know if the purple butterfly wallpaper can stay up or not! This is getting fun since I'm finally showing a bit, nice consolation to keep me busy until I get to feel baby's first movements in the next 6 weeks or so. Hope you're all well.

I agree that worrying about weight gain and our lifelong obsessions with body size are never more inappropriate than when we are pregnant. It's perfectly healthy and normal to be a bit bummed or annoyed even at the fact that we will have to work harder to lose weight after childbirth, but as long as weight gain during pregnancy doesn't affect our health or the health of our children, then it is merely something we should see with humor and grace as one more thing to worry about later on.

hey all, b-fever, my condolences on your MIL, i'm very sorry. i sit here with tears streaming down my face as i read that JaimeSTL lost her little girl today, who was born at 20 wks. 2nd trimester is going well, i'm almost 16 wks. i've noticed the band has more picky days and i've vomited or pb'd twice recently, both times it seems it was food/band related, not morning sickness as there wasn't nausea associated with it, just pain. Starting to be concerned that i may not make it all the way to Aug 1st due date with my whole fill...:thumbup: Today marks the 8 yr anniversary of me and hubby's first date..8 wonderful yrs! It's bittersweet that we were young kids just hoping for a date around Valentine's Day and now we're married, playing house, having a baby! Obviously I am hormonal and emotional too! Just really hoping to feel the baby move soon.

Words can't express how much sadness I feel for you. I hope the tears and support of all of us on here will somehow send out our hearts to you in this sad time. I am so sorry.

You guys are all making me wanna feel the baby move so bad!! I am about 16 weeks now, woo hoo! When will I feel it? On a side note, I have had full on, PB/vomiting episodes twice this week when the whole meal came up...ugh. It may be time for a small unfill. My original doc left Colorado to return to his hometown in Pennsylvania, so he transferred all his patients to a new guy who I haven't met, since there was no need to in the past 6 months...bummer.

LJ, that's just great babe, it sounds like you're doing well! I am so excited for you and for all of us who will be following. I remember reading your blog last week and it said you were being sent in for a c-section at that moment. It took my breath away to flash back on the past 8 months, your "Coming out of the Closet" post where you spilled the pregnancy secret to all of us, all your great advice and encouragement when I was trying to get pregnant and how wonderful you and everyone has been since! Such a fun journey, and I hope you will continue to post and read the pregnancy threads even though you've now given birth! Hugs!

I'm almost 15 wks and not unfilled yet. The band seems tempermental for most of us during pregnancy, but mine hasn't gone thru too many rough spots. I'm hoping to keep my fill.

Help! My hunger subsided for several weeks between 10 and 13 weeks or so, it was very manageable and normal and i had no gain. Now, it has returned very fiercely and I am craving all the bad stuff..Taco Bell, carbs, fries, etc. I don't know what to do, I'm already up a pound this week and don't wanna make it 2 lbs! The band has been a bit tight so maybe that's restricting my meal size a bit, but did anyone experience just major hunger at the start of 2nd trimester?

We waited 50 lbs...hee hee. I wanted to be at/near 200 lbs by the time we started trying because while that's still a "heavy" weight for someone my height and frame, it's hardly the "morbid obese" category I was at 250 or 260. So, around 208 lbs we started trying and around 201 lbs (which was EXACLTY 50 lbs lost from surgery weight) I got preggo. It took roughly 5 months of trying to succeed, but I admit I started earlier than my band doc preferred. He gave us the go ahead to start after 6 months of banding, which would have been September, but we started in July. We didn't get preg until early November, so it all works out. I feel it's important to point out that I have cyst issues and such, so my fertility concerns were important enough that the band doc and I compromised on the whole 1 year rule...

We also plan on leaving a bed in the baby's room. It's currently a guest room so we're just gonna move out most of the bookshelves and such to make it "baby ready". But I agree with having a bed in there, since there will be nights its just easier to hop in there and go to sleep! I'm SO ready to feel the baby move, I'm only 14 wks, so I've got awhile, but I am really looking forward to that!

Way to go LJ! It sounds like you were quite the warrior woman. I'm sorry you had to have a C-section, I bet most of us prefer not to have them. Hugs and congrats! Happy Happy Joy Joy!

Hello friends! I tried looking for a thread specific to my concern with this and didn't, so I'm posting a new one. I am currently 6 weeks pregnant and am concerned about the lack of morning sickness I am experiencing. Our first pre-natal appointment isn't until December 29th, so I'm naturally going a little bonkers here. I've read that lack of morning sickness is tied to higher rates of miscarriage and of course, that is very concerning to me! 1. How many of you out there suffered from morning sickness? 2. When did it start? books say it starts around 5 or 6 weeks. 3. If you DIDN'T have morning sickness, did you go on to have a healthy pregnancy? I'm just a bit freaked out...:confused::eek::confused:

OMG OMG! C'mon Joshua! Be a good baby and come out of your momma without causing lotsa pain, damage or taking too long! She's a nice lady! :eek::w00t:

YAY marathinner! I remember asking you about the ovulation watch, thank you for saving me from an unneeded purchase! We conceived shortly after that. I can't wait for you to be preggo too! Thanks all for the kind thoughts towards my momma, I'm worried.