eejaydiva

ziah, congrats on the pregnancy, and i hope all goes well! do you have to stay on bedrest the whole time?! that's gonna be rough, especially with a kiddo at home. do you have a spouse or partner to help you out? hope so. i've read that renting a wheelchair to stay off your feet sometimes helps with incompetent cervix. did they give you a cerclage or stitch up there? Fairy, your belly is cute honey, not big at all! that gives me hope. Although at the same time, i wanna have a belly...to feel preggo! you're tall right? i'm only about 5'5 or 5'4, so i already am bloating a bit in the midsection. asking for prayers for my mom guys, she hurt her back pretty bad last week and now it has spread around to her hips and front. she's having severe abdominal cramping and has an obstructed bowel.

Heather, Good luck and keep us posted! I noticed you hadn't been on any threads the past few days and I hope you feel better fast.

yuck fairy, i'm sorry about the heartburn, mine was so bad before banding that i have an esophagus that looks like chewed bubble gum, it's covered in scar tissue. banding MAJORLY got rid of it for me, but the doc said that it will return eventually with pregnancy, oh well... it's not beginning pre-eclampsia, actually my blood pressure is on the low end of normal, thank goodness. it has always been super low, which is odd as i consider myself a hyper, active, kinda high-strung lass. i was reading that Fluid retention settles in different places and i'm the only one who thinks my face looks fat, but it really feels different to me! the weight gain is hard LJM, my friend is in hospital right now for the same reason you are, and she's gaining like crazy..fluid tends to do that, even if you are "eliminating" it the normal way. my mother in law once gained about 19 lbs in 36 hours during a round of chemo treatments because of fluid retention.

fairy, you can always use a breast pump too, then it doesn't matter at all what your nips are up to, it will always work (as long as you have milk in there). losing, you're so close! i technically haven't gained but of course my belly is getting nice and bloated and my face seems puffy to me. did this happen so early to anyone else? i'm having one of those days where i feel like stuffing my face. stuck at work, my South Beach lunch doesn't sound appealing and they are usually the 1 brand of prepared food that i actually enjoy. can't leave due to holding down the office while my superiors are at a meeting...oh, and it's like 8 degrees outside. i'm clumsy on snow and ice so I try to limit walking on it if possible.

Mrs, Any and all of that is possible, but without pain or complication, I'd leave it and see how you feel. Hormonal changes can cause my band to puff up and down sometimes too, such as getting one's "monthly bill" or stressful periods of time. I think the body adjusts to changes at different paces and your sudden restriction may be that the swelling around your tummy and belly has settled and now the band is in a good spot. Without normal warnings such as pain, heartburn, vomiting or reflux, I think a harmful slippage is awfully rare. Its great you've been proactive about getting fills and I wish you luck on your future weight loss progress! Just one question...when they checked for leaks, do you know if they checked just the band, or the cord leading between band and port as well? Often docs can puncture the cord with a needle during fills and nobody realizes it until they get several fills and realize the Fluid isn't reaching the band.

I think the lack of morning sickness thing was just really scary for me because it's one of those vital parts to "feeling pregnant" in the beginning when you have no other symptoms. Being my first time preggo, I was scared about everything and so afraid of getting attached! I remember reading that something like 30% of women are lucky enough to never get it and yet I was still convinced my baby was not gonna survive, or whatever. My mom NEVER had morning sickness and had 3 healthy pregnancies, but I just couldn't let it go. Now that I'm further along, have seen and heard my baby, I'm relaxing a bit. And in retrospect, I truly did have other symptoms. The constipation was awful, breast tenderness took my breath away, and the fatigue was unlike anything I've ever had. I swear I'm not a wimp and I refuse to act like a delicate little wispy pregnant woman, but OMG I was EXHAUSTED beyond belief the first few weeks.

Me too LJ! So frickin' psyched for you guys! You're so close girl...WOOO! Since you're getting to 37 weeks, will they still let you go as long as possible, or will they now induce? I myself am getting a funny little beer-gut looking tummy! I have to be a bridesmaid tomorrow in a girlfriend's wedding, so I tried my dress on last night just to make sure it fits. It does, YAY! However, my hubby couldn't resist making the comment that it "Looked like someone knocked up the prom queen"...sheesh.

i've seen 2 friends give birth that was started with pitocin and both seemed fairly normal... i think it depends on how strong the pitocin dose is in your IV. i also remember that they tended to turn UP the pitocin to get things moving after mommy got an nice epidural...some women feel that epidural relaxes you too much and pitocin makes you go too fast, so do they cancel each other out? keep us posted on those contractions LJM! hopefully Joshua is just practicing and will be in there at least another week.

Congrats! Don't be scared. PLENTY of women don't wait the required 12-18 months. If you have had good progress with weight loss, life adjustment, psychological needs, etc that come with life with a band, then you can relax. I think the complaint I hear most from newly pregnant bandsters is they didn't lose enough weight beforehand, or they are scared of the weight gain that they worked so hard to lose. I got pregnant 8 months out after losing about 50 lbs. Depending on your restriction, your band doc can't "require" an unfill. This is your body and your baby and your choice of weight management. I had decent restriction but not overly tight prior to pregnancy and I haven't had tons of issues with the band so far, so I'm comfortable leaving the fill in as long as possible, hopefully the whole time. Some of us have VERY tight fills, and I think you may run into some issues if thats you. Other women found their band incredibly tight in the first few weeks and had to get unfilled simply to be able to eat at all. My advice would be to watch your band, if it gets too tight for too long, then unfill. I have days where mine is tight, others it's fine. I've never gone more than 1 or 2 days at a time with it being super tight, or I would unfill. Also, if you get major morning sickness, UNFILL! You don't wanna have to have band revision surgery due to a slippage.

Much as I hate to be the bearer of bad news, I think you definitely have at least 1 big problem with your band. If you had constant morning sickness for 4 months, I am amazed your band doc did not give you an unfill. Constant vomiting is the leading cause of band slippages and I think you better get some immediate medical advice on why it suddenly seems you have no restriction. I wouldn't be surprised if he had to give you an Xray or Upper GI scan to check the status of your port and band's placement. Was your band doc aware of your vomiting? I am just struggling to see how a band doc would allow you to have such a great chance for a band slippage...:biggrin: Good luck and keep me posted.

I haven't seen or talked to my band doc since early July, when I had my last fill, which was my sweet spot for awhile. I was feeling good. In late summer/early fall before I was preg, I noticed I was slowly being able to test the band and eat more quantities/types of food. My weight loss had slowed for sure by the time I found I was pregnant in November, but I always experience a little "loosening" of the fill in the weeks that follow it, and my weight loss also slowed because I was less motivated to behave and diet like a good bandster, so that's all my fault. I lost 50 lbs before I got preg, so I'm happy with that. My doc said very few of his preggo bandsters needed unfills during pregnancy. A huge amount of us had issues with the band in early pregnancy. Mine was tight for a few days here and there, then fine again. I also had very little morning sickness, which you also have to consider. If you get pregnant and are sick alot, most docs will want an unfill just to protect their hard surgical work in securing the band. As you know, vomiting is known to cause band slippages and other issues like esophagus erosion. I worked with my band, behaving on mushies and smaller meals on days/weeks it was being tempermental. Oddly, I was hungrier the first 8 weeks than I've been the past 4 weeks, which is good because I gained alot at first! Now it has tapered off and I actually lost 2 lbs. I was up 8 lbs in my first trimester! Not good when you want to only gain 15 the whole 40 wks. I still have days where I "slime" and spit up Water when I try to eat a meal, if I rest for a few minutes and try to eat after I "slime", I'm usually fine, but I did actually PB up some food the other day, which hasn't happened to me in 6 months! My band is still tempermental, open and relaxed some days, closed and tight others. I find that if it is tight at the beginning of the day, chances are it will remain that way all day.

Hi everyone, Just a quick update on me. Biggest/best news is that I am officially in my 2nd trimester now! YAY! I can breathe a little easier and relax a bit. I really identify with Fairy and you others who say it was scary to get attached to the pregnancy..that's how I feel. Lately I just really FEEL pregnant. There is a tightening, mild cramping ache in my abdomen during most afternoons into the evening. I can't sleep on my tummy much anymore either, more on my side kinda leaning on a pillow. Lower back and hips hurt, but I will gladly endure all of that. The stock show/rodeo is in Denver right now so we went this weekend because hubby and I had Monday the 19th off for MLK day. Had a great time seeing all the bull riding, baby cows, etc. Also got to go with my 4 yr old nephew who I just love spending time with. Yesterday (Monday) pretty much sucked as a day off. Hubby's car broke down and we drove all over tarnation trying to find a mechanic who would fix it for not a huge amount of money...ugh. Still in the shop, we're picking it up tonight. My friend Annie is 25 weeks preg and got admitted last night for high blood pressure and Fluid surrounding her lungs, kinda like LJM, so please send prayers her way! She's a petite person and the baby is large, but not yet developed enough to come out, so I'm hoping she can get to at least 32 weeks, that is the doctor's optimistic hope. Hugs! It's been awhile, how are you all doing out there?

Hi, I am really sad right now. I am currently the only one of my group of girlfriends that is pregnant. 2 others are TTC but have had difficulties (fertility issues, miscarriages, etc). During the 6 months we were trying to get preg, me & my closest girlfriend "M" (who is one of the TTC ones) talked constantly about it. Trying, ovulation, frustration, etc. We emailed, hung out just the 2 of us so we could talk about it without the others going nuts or getting bored, texted, etc. When I found out I was preg, she was the FIRST person to know, I called her shaking and crying even before hubby knew. Since I've been preg, I have continued to ask "M" how things are going..how her fertility appts go, if she's gotten her period, etc. Basically all the stuff us TTC ladies obsess about. She just emailed me and said that I need to stop asking, it bothers and upsets her and reminds her that she is not yet pregnant. A group of us on Saturday was out for a bachelorette and M and another girlfriend were acting very frustrated that the other ladies were asking me about the baby & pregnancy. I understand the pain that can come with all this. I suffered from it and severe bouts of doubt and jealousy while we were TTC as well. But if she had only said it in a nice way, not a mean, confrontational email, it would have been easier to take. It was normal for us for many months to discuss every aspect of this, so why did i think that it could stay the same? I thought I was being a caring & attentive friend by asking about it still. My other close friend is planning a big wedding. Between the 2 of them, i now have nobody but you guys to talk about this baby with. My mom and sister aren't "girly girls". While they are excited for me, it's not the same and I just wish things were different. I apologized to M for hurting her, but I just feel like the next 6 months will be pretty lonely for me.

I think the fact that the baby is growing is very comforting to you and the doc. However, unless you had a loss due to morning sickness in the first few months, I can see your doctor's concern. On the weight watchers and other dieting websites, they say that the guidelines/instructions for following such programs during pregnancy are really for 2 things: 1. Possible loss during the first 4 months of pregnancy 2. Maintenance during the last 5 months of pregnancy So, even most diet programs have a reasonable expectation that you should not be in a loss mode after a certain point. I think that if you're eating a large amount of fiber-rich foods, that can certainly contribute to weight loss, simply because that has always been the case for me. A little fat and fun food is what pregnancy is all about, so maybe treat yourself to a big, guilty meal once a week and try not to worry about the weight gain. Remember if the baby weighs 7 lbs and you retain roughly 3-4 lbs of amniotic Fluid and breast milk, that you will have lost 12-15 lbs by the time you leave the hospital just thru delivery! And don't worry Fairy, I'm only 11 weeks and up 9 lbs....eek! However my gains have stopped these past 2 weeks, thank goodness. Hugs.

Heather, Congrats on the girl baby! Wonderful news and I'm so glad that everything looks healthy and good.

Newlife, Words cannot express my sadness at your news, I am so sorry. I usually get an email anytime anyone posts on one of the threads I follow, so I'm sorry this is late. Prayers are sent to you and yours.

FYI - I posted an update in the wrong thread...hee hee. It's in the "Morning Sickness or Lack thereof" thread. I guess it kinda fits there too, but if you wanna read it, that's where it is. How is everyone doing? Newlife...how's it going with your baby bean?

losing...ugh, you poor thing! hang in there! you sound like you're doing ok for the time being, i'm glad your BP went down. by the way, i read your blog all the time but can't post comments since i don't have/want a Google/Blogger account thingy dingy...hope that's ok.

Heather, ick, I'm sorry! I hate vomiting. Are you sure it's not morning or pregnancy related sickness babe? My band has been tight and picky lately. Not so tight I can't eat, but I'll take a few bites, feel the chest pain, belly tightness and have to stop or slow down. I have had lots of gas ever since banding and now that I'm preg I don't tend to take my Gas X since it's not safe to use. In pre-preg days, I found that being in a back-leaning position and taking gas meds really helped a tight band. If I took bites that weren't going down, I would lean or recline back for a few min and swallow a pill, 10 min later I could usually eat fine. This also helped to eat certain "no no" foods like Pasta and chewy breads. Lately the pregnancy and gas bloat are back. I often have a jacket or sweater with me in the restaurant so I can casually have my pants unbuttoned and lay the jacket across my tummy so nobody can tell. :thumbs_up: I gained 8 or 9 lbs the first few weeks of pregnancy, and only now the hunger has slowed a bit and my appetite is getting to a more manageable level, so I'm ok with the band tightness. I'm hoping to get thru the next 6 or 7 months without an unfill so that I have at least SOME control and don't go weight gain crazy.

fairy, how is your pelvis twisted? is it higher or lower on one side of your hips, or does it sit tilted or what? my friend had a tilted pelvis from a horrible car accident we were in during high school and was unable to conceive until last year after 8 years of trying. her's was diagonal....basically if she were standing straight up and you looked down on her from aerial, bird's eye view, the left side of her hip bones/pelvic bone angled closer to her left buttock cheek and her right side angles away from her buttock/rear side.

On the subject of the artificial sweeteners debate, I pulled this from americanpregnancy.org, the only government run, FDA approved pregnancy website in the USA. For informational purposes. On the definitions page of this same website, moderate use it described as 1-3 times weekly average use, or less than once daily on medications. Fairy, I'd think about the 4x weekly Sweet n Low use. It's my favorite sweetener too, but I've resorted to using reg sugar or 2 Splendas in it's place until baby is out. Read on: Aspartame: (Equal or NutraSweet) Aspartame is not effective in heat nor for long periods in liquid form. It is often found as an additive to soft drinks, gelatin, desserts, pudding mixes, breakfast cereals, beverages, chewing gum, dairy products, and other foods and drugs. According to the Food and Drug Administration(FDA), Aspartame is safe for use during pregnancy and lactation. It is recommended to limit consumption to a moderate level. Aspartame should not be used by anyone with PKU (a rare metabolic disorder), rare liver disease, or by pregnant women who have high levels of phenylalanine in their blood. Phenylalanine is a component of aspartame, and it may not metabolize correctly in anyone who has these conditions. Sucralose: (Splenda) This is non-caloric sweetener that is made from sugar. Sucralose has been approved for use in baked goods, baking mixes, non-alcoholic beverages, chewing gum, coffee and tea products, confections and frostings, fats and oils, frozen dairy desserts and mixes, fruit juices, sugar substitutes, sweet sauces, toppings and syrups. It can also be used as “table-top sweetener.” Sucralose has no effect on blood sugar, offers no calories, and is deemed safe during pregnancy and lactation. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), sucralose is safe for everyone to consume, including pregnant women. What artificial sweeteners are questionable or NOT safe to use during pregnancy? Saccharin: (Sweet 'N Low) Although it is not used as much today as in the past, it still appears in many foods, beverages and other substances. The FDA does consider saccharin to be safe to use for the general public. Former studies that had linked saccharin to an increased risk of developing bladder cancer have been dismissed by the National Toxicology program. But studies do show that saccharin crosses the placenta and may remain in fetal tissue, so its use for pregnant women still remains in question. . What artificial sweeteners are questionable or NOT safe to use during pregnancy? Saccharin: (Sweet 'N Low) Although it is not used as much today as in the past, it still appears in many foods, beverages and other substances. The FDA does consider saccharin to be safe to use for the general public. Former studies that had linked saccharin to an increased risk of developing bladder cancer have been dismissed by the National Toxicology program. But studies do show that saccharin crosses the placenta and may remain in fetal tissue, so its use for pregnant women still remains in question.

aw nuts, sorry it's not smooth sailing right now babe! i am thinking of you, and just very grateful that you are so far into your pregnancy. keep us posted.

Hi everyone! Sorry, I wanted to respond a few days ago, but work and home life has been so busy! Newlife, we are all thrilled you're doing ok for the moment! Any more news on that front? I had some spotting after my pelvic exam at our 1st appointment, so I freaked and called the OBGYN, was told that if I could get rid of it in 1 wipe of the tp, then all was good, and it ended in a few hours, so thank goodness! It was barely anything, just a few drops, but I haven't had any bleeding at all, so it scared me. Doc said it was definitely just irritation from the appointment, he noted my cervix had "bucked" a bit when touched with the probe. Did you ladies know that your cervix can instinctively flex and tighten if it senses a threat to baby? Kinda cool. How was everyone's New Years? Hubby and I went to dinner with my parents and brother, then were falling asleep on the couch by 11pm. We managed to watch the new year and seal it with a kiss, but were in bed shortly after. I guess my days of getting dressed up and going out with the girls to an expensive night club are over...that's ok! Hee hee. I'll have a 4 month old by this time next year, so maybe I can take a few hours next New Year's Eve and hit the town with the girls for my first night away from the baby. It seems that most of my friends had 3 or 4 month olds before they would spare a few hours out. I have everything I ever wanted right now with a baby on the way and a wonderful marriage, so life is good. I wish us all much success and happiness in 2009.