Preggot!

What you don't know about your cervix

2011-07-05T17:30:00.000-07:00

What!? Where?

Most women have no clue what their cervix is, where it is, its function or even what it looks like. Well, here’s where it is:

And it looks like this (much like the head of a penis):

The first time I learned about basic reproductive anatomy, I was pregnant with my first child, and the only thing I really learned about the cervix is that it was at the bottom of my uterus (liking my cervix to the opening of a balloon and my uterus was the balloon part waiting to expand), and was supposed to dilate to from 0 to 10 during labor. It was also supposed to thin out (efface) and go from what is like the tip of my nose to the web of skin between my index finger and thumb…melt away kind of like a lifesaver. And that my cervix might need to be checked during labor to asses its progress.

But that was it. It wasn’t until I was well into being a childbirth educator and a doula did I find out some other things about the cervix. Things that would change how I forever approach supporting women in labor and birth.

Cervix Myth #1: 10 is the Magic Number

No, it is not. Did you know that you can dilate past 10? What?! Now what are we all supposed to do? That sounds horrific! It IS horrific, right?

Not really. Not any more so than dilating to 10 is. I dilated well beyond 10 cm with my last birth, where my baby’s head measured at a whooping 14.75 cm. That’s right, I dilated almost to 15 cm. And guess what, I lived. And guess what, too….it didn’t hurt any more than my other births where I dilated to just 10. So, just because you are 10 cm doesn’t necessarily mean you are ready to push. If you do not feel the urge to push at 10 cm and are instructed to do so, you will force the cervix open “against its will” and bruise the cervix. And if you have an epidural and don’t feel the urge, you are at even higher risk of injuring yourself.

Cervix Myth #2: Your Cervix Dilates in a Nice, Neat Circle

Your cervix does not dilate in a nice, neat circle like all the dilation model depict. It actually opens like an ellipse as depicted here

Source: MidwifeThinking.com

“It opens from the back to the front like an ellipse. The os (opening) is found tucked at the back of the vagina in early labour and opens forward. At some point in labour almost every woman will have an anterior lip (meaning the top of the cervix isn’t completely dilated) because this is the last part of the cervix to be pulled up over the baby’s head. Whether this lip is detected depends on whether/when a vaginal examination is performed. A posterior lip is almost unheard of because this part of the cervix disappears first. Or rather it becomes difficult to reach with fingers first.”

Cervix Myth #3: Vaginal Exams Do Not Harm the Cervix and/or Hinder Dilation

Midwife Carla Hartley at Ancient Art Midwifery puts it this way:

“The cervix is not meant to be touched, there is an inflammation response from the foreign material (glove) as well as the pressure, and a hormonal response. It may be confusing to the body that while it is trying to empty the uterus there is interference from the cervix being touched and manipulated in a way that it is not meant to have to deal with. VAGINAL EXAMS ARE NOT PHYSIOLOGICAL AND ARE AN INTERRUPTION TO THE NATURAL PROCESS OF BIRTH.

Here is the thing about pushing….DON’T….your body knows how to eject a baby without your help….it is a reflex. Don’t even expect an urge…..expect a sensation of your body taking over in a big way, getting that baby out…..as it is DESIGNED to do…

I talk a lot about digital and verbal abuse in labor and vaginal exams are an example of digital abuse.

Midwives [and OB's and nurses] who think vaginal exams are a good thing or necessary do not have sufficient education or they have not kept up with emerging science that proves that birth is safer if left alone. Hanzoffa, hanzoutta, mouthshutta midwifery is the safest.”

Cervix Myth #4: Your Cervix is Different and Isolated From All Other Body Parts

Ina May Gaskin, the mother of modern midwifery, has coined a term called “The Sphincter Law”. The Sphincter Law states:

Your sphincters (including your excretory, cervical and vaginal) are responsible for releasing your baby into this world. If your sphincters are tight you may not progress, and you will probably experience more pain.

So what exactly is Ina May’s “Sphincter Law”?

1. Excretory, cervical (your cervix), and vaginal sphincters function best in an atmosphere of intimacy and privacy. For example, a bathroom with a locking door or a bedroom where interruption is unlikely or impossible.

2. These sphincters cannot be opened at will and do not respond well to commands such as push or relax!

3. When a person’s sphincter is in the process of opening, it may suddenly close down if that person becomes upset, frightened, humiliated, or self conscious. Why? High levels of adrenaline in the bloodstream do not favor (sometimes, they actually prevent) the opening of sphincters. This inhibition factors is one important reason why women in traditional societies may have mostly chosen women, except in extraordinary circumstances, to attend them in labor and birth.

4. The state of relaxation of the mouth and jaw is directly correlated to the ability of the cervix, the vagina, and the anus to open to full capacity

Did you catch that? In other words,

Open Mouth=Open Cervix

Open Throat=Open Vagina

It is near impossible to birth effectively with tightly pursed lips and a closed off throat. Go ahead, try it right now….when you relax your jaw, open your mouth and open your throat, your bottoms automatically relaxes and sinks into your chair. Ina May talks about the benefits of kissing, and keeping the lips and mouth lose and open. Kissing also releases oxytocin adn other love hormones that raise your pain tolerance level and speeds labor along.

Please enjoy this short video of Ina May talking about The Sphincter Law

SOURCE: http://www.birthologie.com/birth/what-you-dont-know-about-your-cervix/

Aflac in Utah

2010-01-20T11:39:00.000-08:00

For those planning to get pregnant and use maternity insurance, you may want to sign up now. On February 15th you will no longer be able to sign up for AFLAC hospitalization insurance in Utah. Please contact supplementalinsurance@live.com if you would like to sign up. Thanks!

Doctor's Notes

2010-01-11T14:57:00.000-08:00

I have a copy of the doctor's notes from my fourth delivery. I always love my doctor's notes to see what they have to say about me, but this one is so funny I thought I would post it on this blog.

Date of Service: 03/06/2009

HISTORY OF PRESENT ILLNESS: This a 26 year old patient of Dr. ____ who precipitously delivered a 35 week infant in her car on the way to the hospital. The patient's pregnancy has been significant for her preterm labor in the past. She received progesterone shots up until 32 weeks after which she reported that due to side effects that she was unable to tolerate them any further. She was admitted last weekend to the hospital with preterm contractions and was given a dose of steroids apparently at some point during her pregnancy. She has been experiencing contractions for the last 3 days and reports that they got stronger this evening. She got in the car with her husband to drive to the hospital for further evaluation when she delivered in the car. I received a call from the emergency room physician who reported that the patient was being transferred to labor and delivery, but the baby was fully delivered and appeared vigorous upon arrival to the emergency room.

DELIVERING PHYSICIAN: None.

ESTIMATED BLOOD LOSS: Unknown, although the patient has very little bleeding at this point in time.

FINDINGS: A viable male infant weighing 5 pounds 15, that is 2694 g. Apgars are unknown and unassigned by the nursery as they were not present at the time of the delivery.

LABOR AND DELIVERY: As mentioned above, the patient precipitously delivered in the car on the way to the hospital. She reports that her water broke just prior to arrival and she immediately delivered without complication. The cord was clamped and cut by the nurse from labor and delivery where the placenta was delivered by one of the nurses. The uterine fundus was immediately firm after this. I arrived and evaluated the patient. Her fundus was firm. She had very little bleeding. At that time, perineal exam revealed no obvious lacerations that required repair. There were some very superficial lacerations that did not require any suturing. The patient remained in the room in good condition, and the infant is currently in the newborn nursery being evaluated.

Disclaimer

2010-01-11T14:54:00.000-08:00

I am not a medical doctor, nor am I YOUR medical doctor. I am a mother of four who hungers for knowledge regarding pregnancy and childbirth for whatever reason, I don't know. I created this blog for people who were constantly asking me questions about these topics so they would have a place to return and read about these topics. Please consult your doctor before you do anything regarding your or your baby's bodies. Thanks!

17-AlphaHydroxyProgesterone Caproate

2010-01-11T09:35:00.000-08:00

Sometimes called 17P or p17 or progesterone shots. Used to be called Delalutin. It's the new thing. It's all the rage. It's one of the best proven techniques to stop preterm labor in women pregnant with singletons these days. And the strange thing is, a lot of doctors aren't doing it yet. It's kind of a new thing, well a new, old thing. That's right, my mother-in-law took it when she was pregnant, but they stopped using it, like so many drugs, when there were a few lawsuits against it.

17P shots are a thick substance that must be injected intra-muscularly. They are somewhat painful, and the injection site can become irritated and itchy.

These shots work by relaxing the uterus and preventing it from contracting. They are quite effective. I went into labor at 24 weeks with this last one, and I began taking my Nifedipine pills which make me very miserable. Within a few days my doctor had me on these shots and within a week I was scarcely having any contractions. I did have a handful of days where I had some breakthrough contractions, but they all took place the day before my next shot.

It was actually a fun process for a medically minded person like me to learn how to give myself an injection, my husband did the first few and I did the rest.

Doctors may differ on treatments with these shots. Some start at 16 weeks gestation, others will wait until preterm labor begins. And it is up to you and your doctor to decide when to discontinue treatment. Theory might be that labor will begin within 2 weeks of discontinuing treatment and the hormones are completely out of your system. But it really depends on the cause of preterm labor, and each individual's body. My personal experience was that I didn't dilate at all while on the injections, so once I discontinued, I had 5 weeks before I delivered, but I always dilate early and slowly. I also, discontinued treatment at 30-ish weeks due to the nausea I was having associated with the injections. So it kept me pregnant until 35 weeks which was amazing!

If I was the doctor giving out treatment, I would start injections at 24 weeks and end at 35 weeks. Then if it did take 2 weeks to deliver, the baby will still be term.

I want to mention that I did also receive a steroid shot for the baby's lungs at 32 weeks. At my hospital, the latest they will administer the shot is 32 weeks and it must be done at Labor and Delivery with an hour of fetal/contraction monitoring. If there is any indication prior to 32 weeks that you might deliver prematurely, I would definitely push for the steroid shots before it's too late. Any help for the baby is worth it's weight in gold!

The side effects of these progesterone shots are all those that can be associated with hormones. My body is very sensitive to hormones and thus these injections made me feel like I had returned to my first trimester. Very few people complain of that, but it was still worth prolonging my pregnancy as long as it did.

If you are experiencing or have experienced preterm labor, talk with your dr. to see if they think this is a treatment worth trying. A lot of doctors haven't tried it before and after researching they might be very interested in this treatment.

Ahem, is anyone still there?

2009-09-21T10:00:00.001-07:00

Soooo, this blog has been sadly neglected pretty much ever since I got pregnant with #4. I'm glad a lot of the information that people asked me about frequently is already posted. Mr. #4 really changed my life in a lot of ways. First of all, that pregnancy was the worst one I've had yet. I went into labor at 24 weeks, and spent the rest of my pregnancy injecting and pill-popping to keep him in. As a result I would like to add some posts about preterm labor and some of my techniques and solutions. Second, I studied the natural child birth thing with him and was really hoping to keep my labor drug-free. Well, my "active labor" as they call it, lasted 20 minutes start to finish, and I delivered my own baby in the front seat of my suburban as we drove to the hospital. I'm not kidding. I did it as natural as you can, and as a result of that I would like to post a little bit about natural child birth. And last, I just survived the hardest summer of my life. I have a 5 year old, 3 year old, 23 month old, and 6month old. Having all four of them home all summer was really hard. School starting has saved me. But because of this difficult summer, I have some new ideas about parenting. I'll hopefully get around to posting some of that.

Don't expect much, I still have 4 kids. But hopefully I'll post some of these things to share with all my readers.

And for anyone who has contacted my insurance agent about "maternity" insurance, things are always changing. They just lost a great policy and gained a new one. Contact him again if you are thinking about getting pregnant, and make some money off of it.

Top 7 ways to have an unnecessary C-section

2009-03-21T17:44:00.000-07:00

Stolen from this blog

7. Go the hospital in the early phases of labor. Get there realllly early so you feel a lot pressure to perform, even though you know that labor is usually a slow process. The earlier the better so you can get tagged with ‘failure to progress’ and get started with a series of medical interventions that’ll often end in a c-section.

6. Don’t eat or drink during a long labor. Just wear yourself out completely and then complain loudly of fatigue. This will up your chances of medical personnel suggesting the solution.

5. Get an amniotomy too soon. Once they burst your bubble you’re now on the clock for a cesarean. If you manage to move along at a snail’s pace you’re sure to end up under the knife!

4. Accept pitocin to induce or stimulate contractions. Since fetal distress is associated with the drug, you’ll have to have continuous electronic fetal heart monitoring which will immobilize you. Good call! The less you move around the better - that’s sure to slow the train. Plus, the drug-induced contractions are so strong you’ll be screaming for an epidural in no time.

3. Request an epidural. Now you’re totally immobilized, yay! Labor’s progress will likely slow down even further and pushing effectively will likely be much harder since you can’t get into any vertical or squatting positions that would work in your favor.

2. Accept hospital staff’s comments on lack of progress without challenge. Once they start complaining that you’re poking along and taking up space, get discouraged and give up. Turn all decisions over to them and you’ll be wheeled away in no time.

1. Just ask! Oh yeah … these days you don’t actually need to go through the hassle of labor at all. Just call up your OB and tell him/her you’d like to schedule your baby - the whole pushing a baby out thing is so inconvenient and last millenium. Your OB will probably be relieved anyways because you’ll be one less lady who might interrupt a good night’s sleep.

*A note on this list: Clearly there are real medical emergencies that can happen, and in those cases c-sections can be true life savers. However, the sad fact is that most cesareans are not done for legitimate medical reasons and in the last decade the number of c-sections has doubled to over 30% of US births. It’s not surprising that so many doctors are in favor of elective cesareans - after all, it’s certainly more convenient and they get to charge lots more $$$. As for us moms who get to make this choice - my feeling is that many women are just not well informed about the risks … because make no mistake: a c-section is a major abdominal surgery and poses significantly more risks to both mom and baby.

And since I like to end on an upbeat note, I wanted to share the cartoon above because it accurately reflects my feelings at this stage.

It's a boy

2008-11-24T15:26:00.000-08:00

For those who haven't heard yet, it's another boy! We are so excited to be having our FOURTH boy, and can't wait to meet him.

Gender Study

2008-11-23T22:33:00.001-08:00

Boys Preferred Over Girls, Poll Shows

Americans Show Slight Baby Gender Preference for Boys If Limited to 1 Child

By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

July 6, 2007 -- People in the U.S. show a slight baby gender preference for having a boy instead of a girl if they were only able to have one child.

That's according to a new Gallup poll on baby gender preferences.

The telephone poll, conducted in June, included about 1,000 U.S. adults. They were asked: "Suppose you could only have one child. Would you prefer that it be a boy or a girl?"

Here are the participants' baby gender preferences:

Boy: 37%
Girl: 28%
Either/doesn't matter: 26%
Not sure/no opinion: 9%

The "either/doesn't matter" choice wasn't mentioned as an option by the pollsters. But more than a quarter of the participants expressed that view anyway.

Modbe Virtual Party

2008-11-17T17:55:00.001-08:00

So I'm not a salesperson. Really I'm not. I'm not quite as bad as my husband who seems to almost always give away things when he's trying to sell them. But I'm close. A few months back I signed on as a salesperson for Modbe Clothing. I love their clothes, and think they are very high quality, but a little bit expensive. So I signed up as a sales rep, not to sell it to people, but to hopefully get the discount for me and my sisters.

Well, Modbe Clothing currently is offering a sale that will give discounts to "party" go-ers that is better than the discount I get as a consultant. So I decided now was an excellent time to throw a party and offer that discount to anyone I know who wants to order some Modbe clothes. So I am offering a "virtual" party to anyone who reads my blog and wants to order.

Here is the deal. They have given me my own modbe website. It is https://www.modbeclothing.com/ericalow. When you type in the party code of 985, and order 3 or more items, you can get 10% off of your order. There is a 30% off coupon with the code of MSHM69DF that you can use even with only 1 item. So when they take 10% off of your already 30% off order, it equals 37% off. That is an incredible deal!

It is nice that it can all be done online now, although if you are wanting to try the clothing on, I will have all the sizes of their clothes at my house on Thursday, November 20th, and in Bountiful on Friday, November 21st. I will be closing the party on Saturday, so if you want to make an order, please try to do so before then. Orders can be anytime now until Saturday.

I am pretty excited about their fall clothes, I ordered some workout capris, the cowl neck shirt, the jeans, and the hoodie where you stick your thumbs through. They tell me that you can wear the jeans through pregnancy because they are stretchy, and I'm hoping they are right, because I am SO sick of maternity clothes.

Coloring Books, Schmoloring Books

2008-11-16T12:14:00.000-08:00

Visit the following website and never spend $3.00 on a 20 page coloring book again. We print out pages from our movie of choice on Sunday morning and take them with us to church. I have a laser printer, so I don't pay for ink, and a ream of paper costs $3.00. So we can print out a lot of pictures, in whatever design we want. We love it, and use it all the time, so I thought I'd pass it on!

http://www.coloring-book.info/coloring/

Cool birth video

2008-11-07T12:20:00.000-08:00

http://www.visibleproductions.com/showcase/medlegal/medlegal_3.html

This is an animated demonstration of birth, it is way cool! Don't be afraid to click on it, it's not graphic or disturbing. My first and third needed to see this video before birth, because they just didn't do it the right way. (They were posterior, and my first was delivered face up.... ouch!) Now if I can just figure out a way to get this baby to watch the video. Maybe at the end when my skin is all stretched out, he can see through my belly. I'll just smash my belly up against the computer screen. Now there's a lovely picture!

Another funny thing from my pregnancy journal

2008-10-25T15:04:00.000-07:00

I haven't read this since I have had children. I am grateful we haven't been through anything like this... yet.

For those with No children- this is totally hysterical!
For those who already have children past this age, this is hilarious.
For those who have children this age, this is not funny.
For those who have children nearing this age, this is a warning.
For those who have not yet had children, this is birth control!

The following came from an anonymous Mother in Austin, Texas:
Things I've learned from my Children (honest & no kidding):

1. A king size waterbed holds enough water to fill a 2000 sq. ft.
house 4 inches deep.

2. If you spray hair spray on dust bunnies and run over them with
roller blades, they can ignite.

3. A 3-year old's voice is louder than 200 adults in a crowded
restaurant.

4. If you hook a dog leash over a ceiling fan, the motor is not strong
enough to rotate a 42 pound boy wearing Batman underwear and a
Superman cape. It is strong enough, however, if tied to a paint can,
to spread paint on all four walls of a 20x20 ft. room.

5. You should not throw baseballs up when the ceiling fan is on. When
using a ceiling fan as a bat, you have to throw the ball up a few
times before you get a hit. A ceiling fan can hit a baseball a long
way.

6. The glass in windows (even double-pane) doesn't stop a baseball hit
by a ceiling fan.

7. When you hear the toilet flush and the words "uh oh," it's already
too late.

8. Brake fluid mixed with Clorox makes smoke, and lots of it.

9. A six-year old can start a fire with a flint rock even though a 36-
year old man says they can only do it in the movies.

10. Certain Lego's will pass through the digestive tract of a 4-year
old.

11. Play dough and microwave should not be used in the same sentence.

12. Super glue is forever.

13. No matter how much Jell-O you put in a swimming pool you still
can't walk on water.

14. Pool filters do not like Jell-O.

15. VCR's do not eject PB&J sandwiches even though TV commercials show
they do.

16. Garbage bags do not make good parachutes.

17. Marbles in gas tanks make lots of noise when driving.

18. You probably do not want to know what that odor is.

19. Always look in the oven before you turn it on; plastic toys do not
like ovens.

20. The fire department in Austin, TX has a 5-minute response time.

21. The spin cycle on the washing machine does not make earthworms
dizzy.

22. It will, however, make cats dizzy.

23. Cats throw up twice their body weight when dizzy.

24. The mind of a 6-year old is wonderful. First grade...true story:
One day the first grade teacher was reading the story of the Three
Little Pigs to her class. She came to the part of the story where the
first pig was trying to accumulate the building materials for his
home. She read,"..And so the pig went up to the man with the
wheelbarrow full of straw and said, 'Pardon me sir, but may I have
some of that straw to build my house?'" The teacher paused then asked
the class, "And what do you think that man said?" One little boy
raised his hand and said, "I think he said...'Holy crap! A talking
pig!'" The teacher was unable to teach for the next 10 minutes.

25. 60% of men who read this will try mixing the Clorox and brake
fluid.

16 week ultrasound

2008-10-20T11:31:00.000-07:00

Well I convinced my dr to do an ultrasound today
.It's either a boy with tiny parts or a girl with big parts. Totally inconclusive. The baby cooperated just right, I don't think he/she ever even moved, just gave us a great shot of it's genitals. But we couldn't decide what those genitals were. It kind of looked like labia, but with a pretty big clitoris. So I guess I'll need to get another u/s next week and see. I told my doctor I needed a %, so he said 60% girl. But he wouldn't go higher than that. I'm glad at least that there is a higher % of girl than boy. But unfortunately, I going to have to muster up some more patience. What do you think it is?

You want more?

2008-10-17T21:28:00.000-07:00

You liked that last post? I'll give you more. I have a few more great things in my pregnancy journal, I'll share them all. This one for some reason makes me cry. Let me know if it does the same for you. Maybe I'm just weird. It was written by Vanessa Sands to her unborn child, and I think it is just beautiful. Next time I'll post another funny one, but I hope you enjoy this.

"I sit here tonight with my journal propped up on my amazingly protruding abdomen, smiling to myself as you frequently make writing difficult with your rolling and kicking. You are my fourth child, the one I thought I'd never have until I felt you call me in my dreams. And you are, with all the certainty we can have about these things, the last. With you, I feel we have rounded up all the little souls destined to compose our family. With you, I feel complete. Yet, I know with the same certainty that I will miss this sense of expectancy, these quiet hours just before a dawn that will change all of our lives forever.

My childbearing years have been a wonderful, magical, although sometimes difficult journey through the strengths and weaknesses of my body and soul. In my lengthy, difficult labors I've found strength I did not know I possessed, courage I did not know I'd need, faith I did not know existed. I have never been able to deliver a baby naturally; despite my most fervent efforts, your brother and sisters have all been born surgically. I will tell you and them, often, that this is not the way we are meant to give birth, and that I loved you enough to exhaust all the possibilities before agreeing to schedule a fourth cesarean.

And that happens in just a few short hours. Soon, Daddy and I will grab a blue canvas bag that holds, among other things, a tiny sleeper and an impossibly little blue hooded sweater. These are the clothes I will first dress you in, other than bleached hospital cottons; these are the clothes into which I will put you, the gleefully kicking, punching soon-to-be-newborn, for your trip home. A surreal concept for me now, here in the moonlight.
But first, you have another trip to make. A journey from warmth and water to bright lights and cold -- ending finally in the security of my arms and the warmth at my breast.

No longer mine alone
I know we should be resting; it's after midnight. But I can't bring myself to sleep away these last few hours of magic. I don't want to miss one sudden lurch or slow turn inside. I don't want to while away our last few hours of aloneness in sleep. Come morning, you will never be just mine again. Come morning, I will never be this full of life, this sparkling with possibility, again.
By an hour ago, I'd done all the tasks assigned me in the hospital literature. Ate a good meal, stopped eating and drinking at midnight, packed all the necessities. Only one thing remained: a good, long shower, my last for a couple days until the catheter is removed and I'm again steady on my feet. Relaxed and warm, I stepped out of the shower and dried myself off. It was then that I caught my reflection in the full length mirror of the shower doors.
How ripe I appeared -- how full and hopeful. My body looked to me like the tree buds just outside the window, on the verge of bloom. As I ran my hands across my vein-laced abdomen, I knew with certainty how very much I'd miss this silhouette, this fullness that signals to the world that I am accomplishing, from a biological perspective, what I came here for. I stood in awe at my no-longer- perky breasts, amazed that in just a few hours they would again sustain that life so very persistent in its movements tonight. I stared into my face, rounder and ruddier than usual, and saw something at once powerful and soft that has eluded my perception before.
The pregnant body is so often the subject of jokes and chiding -- I have laughed often and well over it, I admit. But not tonight. After four pregnancies and alone with my thoughts, I finally see this ridiculous hugeness as what it is: bordering on the miraculous... The one true thing that connects me with my mother, her mother, the mother before her. They are gone, but this rite we share brings us together in a way defying words. Those women gave me life that I am now blessed to share. I find myself wondering tonight why we berate ourselves for every pound gained, for every curve disappearing or reappearing in another place, for every amazing change that happens as without volition as a heartbeat.
No, instead of laughing at my proportions this evening -- or criticizing my body's stubborn refusal to open -- I finally appreciate my own body and its capacity to produce life. This is your gift to me.
So I'll not complain in these, the last of our hours together like this, if I cannot get comfortable or stop the heartburn or refrain from one more trip to the bathroom. I'll treasure it all, store it away in the hope chest of my mind, and pull it all out for you when you want to know. I have so cherished giving up my body for you, and for your siblings. I would do it time and time again if circumstances were different.

Your day
But tomorrow is you -- you will join us tomorrow and make us whole. You will either finally satisfy the yearning that began with the first subconscious flushes of adolescence or deepen it with your first look into my eyes.
So this is a passing, then, from one stage of my life into another. The seeds have been sown, and now I must nurture your growth -- until one day you produce seeds of your own, and the circle is complete. How wonderful the plan of life is; how joyful in its manifestation! I must remember, and you will teach me, that every stage has its merits, that time does pass and seasons change.
I must stop writing now. My arms ache with both the yearning to hold you and the desire to contain you within. Now starts the first, most heartbreaking lesson of parenting, learned anew with every newborn child: to love completely, we must first let go. So it begins again today, May third: your birthday.
Good morning, son."

Funny Pregnancy Q&A

2008-10-16T14:56:00.000-07:00

I found this in my journal from my first pregnancy. I have no idea where I found it then, but it is pretty funny.

Q. What is the most common pregnancy craving?
A. For men to be the ones who get pregnant.

Q. My husband and I are very attractive. I'm sure our baby will be beautiful enough for commercials. Whom should I contact about this?
A. Your therapist.

Q. I'm two months pregnant now. When will my baby move?
A. With any luck, right after he finishes college.

Q. How will I know if my vomiting is morning sickness or the flu?
A. If it's the flu, you'll get better.

Q. My brother tells me that since my husband has a big nose, and genes for big noses are dominant, my baby will have a big nose as well. Is this true?
A. The odds are greater that your brother will have a fat lip.

Q. Since I became pregnant, My breasts, rear end, and even my feet have grown. Is there anything that gets smaller during pregnancy?
A. Yes, your bladder.

Q. The more pregnant I get, the more often strangers smile at me. Why?
A. Because you're fatter then they are.

Q. Will I love my dog less when the baby is born?
A. No, but your husband might get on your nerves.

Q. What's the difference between a nine-months pregnant woman and a Playboy centerfold?
A. Nothing, if the pregnant woman's husband knows what's good for him.

Q. My childbirth instructor says it's not pain I'll feel during labor, but pressure. Is she right?
A. Yes, in the same way that a tornado might be called an air current.

Q. When is the best time to get an epidural?
A. Right after you find out your pregnant.

Q. I'm modest. Once I'm in the hospital to deliver, who will see me in that delicate position?
A. Authorized personnel only---doctors, nurses, orderlies, photographers, florists, cleaning crews, journalists, etc.

Q. Does labor cause hemorrhoids?
A. Labor causes anything you want to blame it for.

Q. Where is the best place to store breast milk?
A. In your breasts.

Q. Is there a safe alternative to breast pumps?
A. Yes, baby lips.

Q. How does one sanitize nipples?
A. Bathe daily and wear a clean bra. It beats boiling them in a saucepan.

Q. What are the terrible twos?
A. Your breasts after baby stops nursing cold turkey.

Q. What is the grasp reflex?
A. The reaction of new father's when he sees new mother's breasts.

Q. Can a mother get pregnant while nursing?
A. Yes, but it's much easier if she removes the baby from her breast and puts him to sleep first.

Q. What happens to disposable diapers after they're thrown away?
A. They are stored in a silo in the Midwest, in the event of global chemical warfare.

Q. What causes baby blues?
A. Tanned, hard-bodied bimbos.

Q. What is colic?
A. A reminder for new parents to use birth control.

Intelligender Update

2008-10-08T20:30:00.000-07:00

The winner of the Intelligender test took the test today. She already knew that she was having a boy, and the test agreed! So the test was accurate for her, if only it can be accurate for me.....I'll know for sure in a few weeks. I certainly hope it is!

Links

2008-10-08T09:27:00.000-07:00

One of our readers submitted the great list of website links.... Thanks Tina!

Natural Birth
http://www.birthingnaturally.net/
http://www.bradleybirth.com/
http://www.mothering.com/articles/pregnancy_birth/birth_preparation/birth_preparation.html
http://www.givingbirthnaturally.com/
http://www.homebirth.org.uk/

Home Birth
IS Homebirth For You?: 6 Myths About Childbirth Exposed
http://www.gentlebirth.org/format/myths.html
Homebirth – Safety and Benefits
http://gentlebirth.org/ronnie/homesafe.html
The Homebirth Choice
http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articles/homebirthchoice.asp
http://homebirth.meetup.com/

Childbirth Preparation Courses
http://www.lamaze.org/
http://www.bradleybirth.com/
http://www.hypnobabies.com/
http://birthingfromwithin.com/
http://www.hypnobirthing.com/

Unassisted Birth
http://www.unassistedchildbirth.com/
http://www.purebirth-australia.com/pregnancy/unassisted-pregnancy-care.html

Birth Centers
www.birthcenters.org/

Cesaren and VBAC
http://www.vbac.com/
http://www.ican-online.org/
http://www.childbirth.org/section/VBACindex.html
http://www.mothering.com/articles/pregnancy_birth/cesarean_vbac/cesarean_vbac.html
http://www.childbirthconnection.org/article.asp?ck=10212

Water Birth
www.waterbirth.org/
www.waterbirthinfo.com/

Breastfeeding
http://www.llli.org//
http://www.breastfeeding.com/
http://www.kellymom.com/
http://www.breastfeedingonline.com/

http://www.drjacknewman.com/

Baby Steals

2008-10-06T09:52:00.000-07:00

I have been watching this website www.babysteals.com. They post one deal per day. So far I haven't seen anything that I wanted, until today. I bought the Halo Sleep Sack Swaddler. I have always wanted one of these, and this was a great price. They keep the baby warm, and keep their arms trapped next to them. I always swaddle my babies, so I love this concept. Mine is actually the green one, assuming I'll probably have a boy, but could be used for all babies. They are all sold out today, but check it out every day after 9:00 am when they post a new "steal."

Pregnancy Post- What does my baby look like?

2008-10-02T08:36:00.000-07:00

http://www.ehd.org/movies.php

This site is so cool! It has lots of great things, but my favorite are these movies. They show you actual videos of what the baby looks like in different stages of pregnancy.

Pregnancy Post- Ring test for gender

2008-09-29T20:31:00.000-07:00

Okay, the last gender predictor didn't do too well. Are you ladies up for another?

This is a strange one, so get ready. A few years ago my friend introduced me to a technique for not just determining the gender of the baby you're pregnant with, but knowing the gender of all your kids. I generally don't like voo-doo stuff, if I don't know where the power comes from, it freaks me out. This technique told me that I would have two boys, a girl, and then stopped. I knew I would have more than 3 kids, so I disregarded it as nonsense. The crazy thing is, it told me the same thing every time I tried.

On my babycenter birth board, someone brought up this old ring-on-a-string test that I had tried four years ago. My first thought was, well that didn't work for me, I'm pregnant with my fourth and my third is definitely not a girl. But I decided to read on. Surprisingly there are four pages of people posting and I've only seen one that it didn't work for. One person posted saying, that significant life events could change the prediction of your children, which could explain why mine was wrong. Here is a link to the page on babycenter. The interesting thing about these great results is that they are only proven accurate for the past. My friend suggested that maybe our bodies have the capability to somehow affect the test because we already know what gender we've had. I don't know how it works, but I decided it was worth doing a Preggot test on it. I tried it first.

Here's how you do it:
Get a ring, and put it on a string. Hold the ends of the string with one hand, and put out the other hand palm up. (You must be sitting up with your hand out in front of you... you don't want your hand over your stomach)
Make sure the string isn't twisted so the ring isn't spinning.
Hold the ring at the level of your hand, just to the side of your hand and dip it below your hand level three times, then hold it above the center of your palm and wait until it has decided a pattern.

IF it is swinging back and forth, it is indicating boy, IF it is swinging in circles it is indicating girl.

Once it has indicated the gender, dip the ring on the side of your hand three more times and try again. Repeat until you dip the ring and it doesn't swing over your hand, that means it has indicated all the children you will have.

Note: This does include miscarriages. The strange thing is, for my miscarriage it never picked a gender.

Note2: I tried this in a reclined position (okay, okay, I was in the bath!) so my hand was over my belly. It wouldn't stop swinging in circles. There also is a test that you can do when you are already pregnant where you hold the ring over your belly and it will tell you the gender of that particular child. As soon as I sat up and put my hand out in front of me, it was neutral. Weird stuff!

So four years later I tried the test again, and got totally different results. Here is what I got:
#1 boy
#2- miscarriage, undecided- it circled then swung then circled, or something like that
#3 boy
#4 boy
#5 girl
#6 girl
I stopped there. I didn't want to know if there were any more children for me, I can't imagine being pregnant again, it makes me sicker just thinking about it! I'll deal with that later.

So it was right about my three boys, and if this one really is a girl, then it was right! I haven't tried it again yet, but when I did it four years ago it gave me the same result every time.

Try it! And please post your results to tell me if it was accurate for you so far. But PLEASE don't rely on the information about your future children, it was very wrong for me.

Another Gender Predictor

2008-09-29T11:43:00.001-07:00

http://www.babygendertool.com/baby-gender-test.aspx

It was right for 2/3 of my kids. How did it do for you?

The Intelligender winner is....

2008-09-29T08:24:00.000-07:00

I used an online random number generator at random.org. It gave me 21. Well, that is attack of the mouse. You won another one of my contests, you must be very lucky! I can't believe it! The cool thing is, she knows what she's having already, so it will be fun to know instantly if it was right for her.

Thanks to all the others who entered, sorry you didn't win. There will be more giveaways though, so come back!

Intelligender Test- giveaway

2008-09-25T07:22:00.000-07:00

Today was the big day for the Intelligender test which can be purchased by clicking here and paying $34.95 plus $2.00 shipping. If indeed it is accurate, then $34.95 isn't too much money to pay to know the gender of your child as early as 10 weeks into pregnancy!

I copied this off of their website to show how accurate they claim it is:

"In laboratory tests, IntelliGender's G.P.T. was 90% accurate. Since our inception in November 2006, however, our real world results are tracking at 82%. Factors which could affect the accuracy include: failing to use first morning's urine, not following instructions provided in the kit and diluted urine from drinking excessive liquid within 3 hours of performing the test."

This test has been around for a few of my pregnancies, but I never could justify buying it until now. Preggot made it worthwhile to buy, to test it out for all the rest of you.

The test is simple, it consists of a syringe, a cup for the urine sample, and the test cup which has a small amount of powder in it. Collect first morning urine, FMU, in the cup. Measure 20 ml of urine into the syringe. Insert syringe into test and add all 20 ml of urine. Swirl for 10 seconds and wait 5-10 minutes to see the result. If the test is orange or yellow, it is a girl. If it turns brown or green it is a boy. On one side it says boy and shows you the color, and if you flip it around it says girl and shows you the color. Here is how I did.

The box and it's contents

After 10 minutes......

It doesn't match the boy results......

Flip it around and it matches the girl results perfectly!

So it looks like Intelligender thinks I'm having a girl. Common Intelligender, do you REALLY think it's possible for me to have a girl after 3 boys?!? I can't wait to find out!

So I will be giving away the other test that they sent me. I would prefer only pregnant women entering this contest so you can report on it's accuracy for you as well. It doesn't matter what stage of pregnancy you are in, even if you already know the gender of your baby it will tell us instantly how accurate it was for you! Leave a comment and on Monday I'll pick the winner.

Tomorrow is the day!- Intelligender

2008-09-24T18:07:00.001-07:00

I got my intelligender test in the mail today. It requires first morning urine (FMU) so tomorrow is the day. Get ready all! And on tomorrow's post, all those who want to be included in the giveaway need to leave a comment.

Until tomorrow....

Bad News and Good News

2008-09-23T16:32:00.001-07:00

The bad news... My intelligender test got lost in the shipping process, so I won't get it until later this week.

The good news... They have GREAT customer service and they are sending me two tests since they messed up. I'll use one to document on Preggot, and the other one will be a giveaway. Cool huh! Yay for good customer service!

Pregnancy Post- The Shettles Method... does it work?

2008-09-23T12:21:00.000-07:00

A recent poll found that only 17% of women DON'T have a preference on the gender of their baby. I can honestly say I have never been one of that 17%. Only with my second child did I have a very strong preference, but with the first and the last I had a slight girl preference (I didn't know if a boy was capable of being a good oldest child. I've since learned that my boy makes a fantastic oldest child. And I wouldn't mind this one being a girl.) With my third child I had a slight boy preference. My second absolutely HAD to be a boy, I just wanted to have my two little boys, and I'm sure glad I do. So I have always had a preference, and I know some people who have VERY strong preferences and are very disappointed if they don't achieve the desired gender.

Many people talk about the "timing" of your conception and how that can determine the sex of your baby. This comes from Dr. Landrum Shettles who claimed a 75% to 90% success rate for his simple, at-home method, which advises how to time intercourse to conceive a boy or a girl. He sold millions of books, and many more people believe in his theories. But how does this theory actually perform? I'm going to share an actual study with 700 people.

First of all, what is the Shettles method? Shettles theorized that the two different types of sperm, X-chromosome-bearing sperm and Y-chromosome-bearing sperm, had different properties.

Y-Bearing Sperm
(Male-Producing)

Smaller, round-headed
Faster
More fragile, shorter-lived

X-Bearing Sperm
(Female-Producing)

Larger, oval-headed
Slower
More resilient, longer-lived

Shettles hoped that these properties could be used to choose a baby's sex.

Under ideal conditions, the Y-sperm's faster speed should prevail, winning the race to the egg and conceiving a boy.
Under less than ideal conditions, fewer of the fragile Y-sperm will survive. The X-sperm's resiliance and staying power should win the day, conceiving a girl.

Dr. Shettles believed that correctly timing intercourse was the most important factor in choosing to conceive a boy or girl. This means you must learn to detect when you ovulate, and spend a few cycles practicing until you are not only able to determine when ovulation has occurred, but to predict when it is about to occur.

Generally, the rule of thumb that people go by is that a 2-3 day cutoff of intercourse before ovulation should give you a girl. Intercourse ON the day of ovulation, and as close to ovulation as possible would give you a boy. Some people even throw in a vinegar douche to increase acidity for a girl, or a baking soda douche to increase alkalinity for a boy. It HAS been scientifically proven that X-sperm thrive under acidic conditions and Y-Sperm thrive under alkaline conditions.

If you would like any more information on the Shettles Method, just google it and you will find thousands of websites discussing it.

How did it measure up in an actual study. It's easy to write a book and claim whatever statistics you want in it, but how did it do in real life? There is a website that I found years ago that is fascinating. It is www.in-gender.com. They surveyed 700 people on how the Shettles Method worked for them. Here is their scorecard that I copied from their site.

	Claimed	Actual	Grade
Shettles for a GIRL	75%	65%	C-
Comments: Intercourse 3 days before ovulation does show a noticeable increase over the natural odds of about 50%. However, intercourse on other days (2 or 4 days) before ovulation does not show any greater chance of having a girl.
Shettles for a BOY	80%	60%	D
Comments: Intercourse on the day of ovulation increases the chance of a boy somewhat.
Fertility for a GIRL			D
Comments: All Shettles recommendations for conceiving a girl hamper fertility, making it harder to get pregnant at all. Attempting Shettles for a girl may take many more cycles to get pregnant, or not at all.
Fertility for a BOY			A+
Comments: All Shettles recommendations for conceiving a boy lead to optimum fertility. Following Shettles for a boy should lead to pregnancy as soon as possible (assuming there are no fertility problems).

So you can see from their scorecard that the Shettles Method does increase your chances of conceiving, but not dramatically. If you want to increase your chances of a certain gender more dramatically, visit In-Gender and check out some of their other techniques. It's amazing what people will do, maybe some day I'll be desperate enough to do some of these things.

Babylegs

2008-09-21T09:21:00.000-07:00

For those who are wondering what they are....
They can be found here, just click!

So we seem to be pretty divided on whether or not babylegs are acceptable for boys. So basically, if I ever did put babylegs on my boy, I should do it in the privacy of my own home! Which is really what I would do anyway. I don't own any, but I think it might be nice to have easy access to diapers, since I am changing them all day long.

Thanks for voting in the poll! I think it's so fun to see everyone's opinions. Anyone have a topic that they want to see polled? Leave a comment.

Sorry

2008-09-17T15:16:00.001-07:00

Sorry about the coupon code. It was working earlier, it's too bad that they terminated it. Sorry to those who tried to use them. I have another good site to post for shoes, I'll post it soon.

And the winner is....

2008-09-16T08:31:00.000-07:00

I drew out the number 11! Which is Viv! Congratulations, and I'll send you a super cute nursing apron if you email me your address. 2boysrus@gmail.com

Sorry to those who didn't win. I do think I'll follow Carrie's advice and sell them on here. I'm going to look around and see how much people charge for them, I plan on selling them for less than everyone else.

Last call for the giveaway

2008-09-15T10:51:00.000-07:00

I will complete the drawing tomorrow, so last call if you want to leave a comment and be included in the drawing for the giveaway.

And an upcoming post is going to be a test for the "Intelligender" test. Have any of you heard of it before? It is a urine test that supposedly can tell you the gender of your baby as early as 10 weeks. I ordered one today, and I'm going to document my experience with in on Preggot. If anyone else is pregnant and wants to try it, please share your results on here. I'm excited! I don't hold a lot of faith in the results, but it will be fun to try. I'm going to try to get a group together on my babycenter birth board so we can have some real statistics. I'll post them on here later, of course it will be awhile since none of us will really know what gender we are having for quite a few more weeks.

And of course, we'll have to compare the results to the drano pee test and see if it's the same kind of thing. But I can' t do the drano pee test until I'm 16 weeks. The drano pee test was wrong for me last time, so I have no faith in that test!

(Make sure to check out the latest poll)

Giveaway

2008-09-08T15:15:00.001-07:00

Leave a comment, and I will do a drawing for a free (and super-cute I might add) nursing apron. It will be a different fabric than the one pictured above (Darn-it, they don't carry that one any more), but promised to be a design anyone would love.

These things are awesome, you'll love having one!

All are welcome, please leave a comment!

Motherhood Tip- Learning to Read

2008-09-08T08:46:00.001-07:00

Right Now I am teaching my four year old to read. I just thought I would pass on the tip that has worked really well for me. It is a book called, "Teach your child to read in 100 easy lessons." It is a structured curriculum that tells you exactly what to say, and how to teach your child to read. It is working wonders with my son, and it is easy for me to do. Having a curriculum has been the only thing that has made this task less overwhelming for me.

My dear friend also gave me this awesome website to use. My son enjoyed this website, and navigated himself around it for a whole hour yesterday! That's a huge success in my opinion! The website is www.starfall.com. It's not really a curriculum, so it would definitely need a plan of action if it was the only resource used in teaching a child to read. I'll try to contact her and find out how she uses it.

If any one else has any techniques that they used and they would like to share, please leave a comment. As mothers, we need all the help we can get, don't we?

I'M PREGNANT!

2008-09-03T12:42:00.000-07:00

It's official, I'm pregnant. Around 9 weeks. And I'm just starting to see light from this black hole I've been stuck in for the last 3 weeks. I think early pregnancy is SO hard! I don't associate any of the first trimester misery with the baby. The baby comes months later, and I can't see or feel this baby, nor do I even know if it's a he or she! (Although it's safe to assume it's a he with my track record.) So I have a hard time admitting that a baby is worth the sickness right now, even though I'm always very pleased with my babies later on. And when my baby is born, it will be very easy for me to see the blessing that it was to experience the joy of pregnancy. And I'll be silly enough to forget all the pain and do it again! In the meantime... I survive... one day at a time......that's all I try to do.

Here are some things that have helped me survive these last few weeks:

1. Let dh (dear husband) do everything! I'm not kidding. I lay on the couch "busy" as I create life, and he does everything else. It's only fair.
2. Zofran- It's generic and cheap now. It helps me less than it helps other people, but I still think it's a good thing.
3. Phenergan- Even cheaper and easier to get than Zofran. Really helps with nausea. Folks complain that it makes them sleepy. I personally would rather sleep than face the reality of the first trimester. The only way they could improve on Phenergan is to make it last a few weeks at a time so I could "hibernate." I think I'd like that! Better yet, wake me on my due date wouldya?
4. Caffeine Free Pepsi- Did you know that Coca-cola was created as a good tasting medicine and then people liked it enough to drink? I don't know if that's true, but my sista told me it is. Whatever the case, cola syrup is soothing to the stomach. I'm not a caffeine drinker, so the caffeine free version suits me fine. I've been through two 24 packs of these, but my two year old has helped me out :)
5. Movie and Books- In past pregnancies I could escape into the bath for hours, and feel pretty good. That hasn't worked this time. My escape has been into movies and books. For two hours, if the movie is good enough, I find myself in a world of bank robberies or space adventures, and forget about how rotten I feel.
6. Naps, naps, and ummmm more naps? I have slept SO much with this pregnancy. It's amazing that I can sleep all day AND all night. I really believe that sleep is key in pregnancy.
7. I know I've said this before, but my mom taught me that when things were going down they weren't coming up. Candy, pretzels, goldfishies, whatever. I've kept things going down as much as possible. And consequently, our scale is now five pounds heavy. Dang scale.

So now for the fun part of this pregnancy: I got pregnant before I even tried! I went to the doctor to get some fertility drugs, and he told me to take a pregnancy test before I took the pills. It showed up positive! So I call in to tell them I'm pregnant and they ask me for the first date of my LMP las menstrual period..... 2/13/2007. Yes, I'm 19 months pregnant! No, actually I never had a period after my baby was born. I caught the very first egg! Me, the control freak, obsessive compulsive, usually finds out I'm pregnant the very first day anyone could humanly possibly find out, was almost 6 weeks along before I found out I was pregnant. It was pretty fun!

You see, right after I quit nursing I ordered a 50-pack of OPKs from saveontests.com. But for some reason they sent them to my old address. It took me a few weeks to get them. Well, I guess I didn't need those. So now they will be up for grabs as a giveaway. Stay tuned for that. And don't worry, even if you aren't ready to get pregnant now, they don't expire any time soon, so they will last until you need them.

Motherhood Tip- Binky Holder

2008-08-13T22:45:00.000-07:00

Isn't this the cutest binky holder?
(You can check them out at http://www.wubbanub.com )

What will they come up with next?

Tidbit- Medications during pregnancy

2008-08-10T23:52:00.001-07:00

Frequently I hear of people scared of taking particular medications during pregnancy. None of us want to take anything that will harm our baby right? Of course, consulting your doctor is a must on these things, but here is a website that is very conservative on their rankings. Check it out if you ever have questions.... www.safefetus.com

The FDA created the scale for ranking drugs with A,B,C,D, and X. The A's and B's can be taken without talking to your doctor, the others should never be taken without consulting your doctor first.

Open Forum- What are some of the most important things to pack for the hospital?

2008-07-25T07:39:00.000-07:00

Let's see what things we can come up with and we'll try to form the most comprehensive hospital bag list ever! After we get the list together, copy and paste it into your own document, edit it to suit your needs, and print it out for when you are ready to pack for the hospital. And I DO recommend packing way early. You never know when your water could break, and then you want to get to the hospital ASAP. Two out of three times I have found myself at the hospital totally unexpectedly in labor, and sending people to my house to pick up necessities for me.

Let's get this list going.

Pregnancy Post- How to get that baby out Part II

2008-07-22T13:55:00.000-07:00

Okay, time for some more tips on getting the baby out.

Stripping Membranes- This is when the doctor takes their finger and manually separates the cervix from the membranes or bag of waters. This releases prostoglandins which gives YOU contractions. This is a great procedure, I've heard it's painful sometimes, but it's really short. Some people even call it "sweeping" the membranes because it should just be a quick "sweep" of the finger. It, like many other techniques, won't put you into labor unless you are ready, but if you are close it can throw you over the edge. And if nothing else, contractions are the only way to progress, so most people will at least have enough contractions to dilate or efface a little bit more. My doctor will strip the membranes at 37 weeks, which is 2 weeks earlier than they can induce at my hospital. So personally, if I ever were to make it to 37 weeks which I haven't, I would ask the doctor to start stripping my membranes at my weekly appointments, it can be done multiple times. And many people (commenter Amber included) have their baby in their arms within hours of membrane stripping, so it's worth a shot if you're ready for that baby.

Castor Oil- Not to be confused with Castrol Oil, which would be a very bad thing to drink. Castor oil is essentially a laxative, but it has been theorized to have much better results than a regular laxative at inducing labor. Castor Oil has a similar effect, only maximized, to that of eating spicy foods. As it stirs things up in your bowels, it frequently causes contractions of the uterus. There are a few problems with Castor Oil. First of all it does give you diarrhea. That's the whole point. If you aren't okay with that, don't take it. Or I should say if you think diarrhea is worse than pregnancy, don't take it. Personally, I'd rather have a day of diarrhea than another week of pregnancy. Also, it is OIL. It is pretty tough to guzzle oil. I wouldn't recommend taking any less than 2 oz of Castor Oil if you are looking to go into labor. I'd start with 2 oz, and if that doesn't work, I'd go for 4 oz. Yes, that is the whole bottle. Two tablespoons will get you nowhere. My personal recommendation (which comes only from watching people drink it, not drinking it myself) is to drink the whole thing at once, and chase it down with something that will really clean the oil out of your mouth. Orange juice, root beer, whatever. If you notice yourself gagging, keep things going down. My Mother's rule is that if things are going down, they aren't coming up. It seems obvious enough, but don't forget it. Having a cookie or some bread to chew up and soak up the oil will help too. I believe in Castor Oil. I've never needed it, but I bought a bottle years ago, and I keep it on hand in case anyone I know needs it. It can be found at any grocery store probably by the laxatives.

Intercourse- Oh isn't that the most pleasant thought when there is already a baby's head in between your legs, and feet in your ribs? But it is one of the best proven tools for starting labor on your own. It's so effective for me in fact, that my doctor puts me on pelvic rest for most of my pregnancy to keep my babies in. There are a multitude of reasons for this working. 1. Semen has prostoglandins in it, essentially it is just like the stuff that they use to induce you
at the hospital. Prostoglandin leads to an increase in oxytocin receptor populations. An increase in oxytocin in your body is just like sticking an IV of Pitocin into your body, only maybe in smaller amounts. 2. The irritation can stir up some contractions. 3. Orgasms release oxytocin as well. It is frequently said that you get the baby out of you the same way you got that baby in you. But maybe it was a man that came up with that. :)

Movement- It is up to you to determine what causes your contractions. Some people don't contract at all until they are in labor. For me, I can cause some great contractions from sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming. Whatever causes those contractions, keep doing it. Especially if you've already got some contractions from some other self-induction technique. You'll want to keep those contractions going, but you have to keep moving. My strict orders for stopping my pre-term contractions are to drink some water, take a bath, and lay down on my side. So if you want to keep contractions coming.... don't do those things!

With all this said, please don't do anything stupid. If you feel nervous about anything, don't do it. Don't try to get the baby out before 37 weeks, it's not worth it. This isn't for everyone. But for those who are just desperate to get that baby out ASAP, these are some great tips, all time tested by a whole lot of women.

Next post coming up will be an open forum with advice on what to pack in the hospital bag. Be thinking, and check back for that post soon.

Tidbit- Pregnancy Tests and Miscarriage

2008-07-21T14:14:00.001-07:00

If you suspect you are having a miscarriage, a pregnancy test is not a reliable way to find out for sure. It's possible, especially early on to have a negative, or even lightly positive pregnancy test if you have miscarried. But more likely, it will take quite awhile for the hcg to diminish from your bloodstream, and thus give a negative pregnancy test. After my miscarriage, I had positive tests for around 3 weeks after my D&C.

The best thing to do if you suspect you are having a miscarriage is to call your dr's office and demand an ultrasound. Your insurance should pay for it if it is for diagnostic purposes, which it is. On one hand, mother's have intuition that cannot be denied... on the other hand, we all tend to panic when we know there is a baby involved, and sometimes we worry about nothing.

Listen to your heart, you'll figure out what to do, but don't expect the pregnancy test to diagnose a miscarriage.

Stay blogged and get Preggot!

Pregnancy Post- How to get that baby out!- Part I

2008-07-13T12:06:00.000-07:00

I have some friends nearing the end of pregnancy, which always reminds me of my first pregnancy (The only time I made it to full term-37 weeks) and how desperate I was to get my baby out. My best friend was due with her first a month before me, and he came out a month early. I couldn't possibly watch her for two months with her baby while mine was stuck inside. I dilated very early, contracted all the time, and totally expected my baby to come early, but I still REALLY researched methods of self-induction, and even practiced a few of them. Well my other two boys came too early for me to practice any self-induction, in fact I was trying to keep them in. So since I don't get to experience it, I LOVE coaching other people. Here is my humble opinion on what works and what doesn't....

Evening Primrose Oil- You can find it at Walmart or probably any grocery store pharmacy. It is located right with the vitamins. I TOTALLY believe in this stuff. It will NOT put you into labor, it will only help your cervix ripen. I have seen this work with so many people. My next door neighbor was closed up and hard at 41 weeks with her first child. She took Evening primrose oil, among other things, and was dilated to 2.5 at 36 weeks! What an improvement. Her first delivery took a day and a half, and the second took less than 6 hours! I totally believe in this stuff. Purchase 1000 mg capsules and take 2 a day (either orally or vaginally) beginning around 33 weeks. Watch your cervix soften and dilate, and enjoy the thought of less laboring on the actual labor day. And don't worry, it won't put you into labor before you're ready.

Clary Sage Oil- This can be found at health food stores. Put a few drops on your belly, and rub it in. This should induce contractions. It works for some, and it doesn't work on others. It's worth a shot though!

Spicy Foods- Contractions of your intestines help start contractions in the uterus. I was stuffing my face with chips and salsa at my favorite restaurant when contractions started with my second child. I just kept eating more chips and salsa, and the contractions kept coming. When we left the restaurant the contractions stopped.... but started up again and he was born around 10 hours after lunch!

Stay tuned for Part II with more tips on how to get that baby out.

Pregnancy Post- Fetal Heart Rate and Gender

2008-07-07T07:04:00.000-07:00

So a friend of mine posted asking for peoples experiences on fetal heart rate and gender. The old wive's tale is that high heart rates (>150) equal girls. And low heart rates (<150).

The blue circles are the boys and the pink are girls, and they are pretty equally spread. The findings of this study show no conclusive evidence that heart rate is linked to gender in any week of pregnancy.

That said, I love wive's tales.

Stay blogged and get Preggot! (whatever that means, my husband made it up, and now it's just kind of funny)

Weaning- Part 2

2008-06-25T22:17:00.000-07:00

Wow, I feel so flattered! It has been a really crazy spring/summer. I had a lot of emails asking for more posts, thank you for your interest, I'll try to be better at posting, so here goes.

My last weaning post was about taking care of yourself in the process of weaning, this is more about the baby.

My baby was weaned this week. We are leaving him for a week in July, so it had to be done. Not to mention the fact that I had a clogged duct every week, and I was getting really sick of it. The weaning process took 11 hours. Granted, he is the world's best baby, but he had never accepted a bottle in his life, so I really wondered if it was possible! This was so much easier than I thought it would be. It took hearing the experiences of others before I could finally accept that I wouldn't be nursing this boy until he went to scout camp. I realized that eventually he would get thirsty and have to drink milk from some source other than me.

My sister is here helping me out for awhile. She encouraged me, and told me she would help. That was key. Alone, I wasn't strong enough to hold out when he gave me that look and tugged at my shirt. My sister would take him outside or into another room every time he got that look.

Here is what I did:
11:00 am- last feeding
3:00 pm- rocked him to sleep after spraying milk into his mouth with a bottle. I wore my husbands puffy winter coat so he didn't snuggle up to me, and it didn't smell like me. Fed him lots of solid food throughout the evening.
10:00 pm- After 20 minutes of trying to get him to take the bottle he finally surrendered, latched on, and sucked the bottle inside out.
7:30 am- He woke up and after 10 minutes of trying, he took the bottle. Still wearing my husbands coat :)
11:00 am- My sister gave him the bottle and he took it after around 2 minutes
12:00 am- He took the bottle right away. This was his first bottle of formula, he didn't complain one bit!!!!

So hopefully this post will come in handy for someone else someday. I really needed it, but luckily I had some encouraging stories from friends to give me hope.

Some last pieces of random info that helped me:
-Use hot, fresh breastmilk to simulate nursing as much as possible.
-You need help. Baby knows that you want to nurse him or her, and can smell your milk. You need someone to distract baby so you can get that baby good and thirsty and desperate! And you need the support of others or else it is way too easy to give in.
-My sister-in-law recommended using the Playtex Nurser bottles because they are the most "breast like." I totally think they are. But she also recommended changing bottles until you find one that works.
-I gave my baby a shirt of mine to hold against his face while he took the bottle. But I didn't let him snuggle up to my chest. The winter coat really helped.

Anyone else have any advice? Please share.

6 Free boxes of cereal

2008-03-06T14:40:00.001-08:00

Honey Bunches of Oats with Chocolate Clusters is on sale at Smiths/Kroger for $2.00 a box

If you click

Here
Here
Here
You can print off $2.00 off coupons for this cereal, and you can print each coupon twice. That makes 6 free boxes of cereal.

Enjoy!

Open Forum- Getting your baby to sleep!

2008-03-04T10:48:00.000-08:00

I have had a lot of questions about how to get baby to sleep, nap, etc. I don't have all the answers as each child is so different. Share what worked/didn't work for you with your babies. You can do it anonymously if you would like, but please share! Let's brainstorm lots of ideas for struggling moms to read. ****Leave a comment!*****

Email me!

2008-03-04T10:45:00.000-08:00

I have received quite a few emails from people with questions. Certainly I am not a doctor, but I am easy to contact and free! If you have any questions, or if you want help with interpreting your chart, please email me! I'm happy to help if I can. My email is 2boysrus@gmail.com (Outdated I know, but I'm sticking with it. I'm sure next year it would be 4boysrus, so I'll just wait until I'm done with my child-bearing before I get a new email.)

Pregnancy Post- Charting your fertility

2008-02-26T10:28:00.000-08:00

Sorry I joined in on the writer's strike. Is that still going on? Okay just kidding, life has just been crazy. I'm back now.

Okay, so now that you know how your hormones work in your cycle, I want to teach you how to chart your fertility. This isn't any novel thing that I created, but a lot of people don't know where to start. Charting really isn't that difficult, and it can tell you so much about your body. I think it is amazing to chart even when you aren't trying to get pregnant, but then again I treat my body like a science experiment, I also weigh myself 3 times a day. But enough about my neurotic habits, on to charting......

*If you are having any frustration in trying to get pregnant, charting will help SO much. I have two friends who have had some troubles lately: one who couldn't get pregnant, and one who had two miscarriages. Both of these girls starting charting and the first month of charting got them pregnant, AND their chart revealed their problems. The one with the miscarriages proved through her chart that she had low progesterone, and with the prescribed progesterone supplement, she hasn't miscarried! So give charting a try.*

The first two things to do in charting are: purchase a basal body thermometer, and open a fertility friend account. The thermometer is not the same as a fever thermometer, you must have a basal body thermometer with 2 decimals. These are cheap and can be purchased on ebay or at Walmart or anywhere! To open a fertility friend account is free, and they have such a great system set up, it makes charting easy.

The idea behind charting your fertility is to see patterns in your body that either help you get pregnant, or show you why you aren't getting pregnant. Of course it doesn't help everyone, but if you are having trouble getting pregnant it is the first step. Personally, if I don't get pregnant in the first ten minutes of trying, I call and make a fertility appointment. Some people will try for years before consulting a physician. Whatever the case, if you have at least one chart on hand, preferably more, you have a lot more leverage at a fertility consultation. These doctors love to send you home with a plan to chart for 3 months and hope they never have to see you again. But if you come in with a chart, they have to start thinking about treatment options.

(If you look at the progesterone, green line, that is similar to what your temperature should look like on your chart)

With the knowledge of your body's hormones, you know that the first half of your cycle is estrogen driven, the second half is progesterone driven. So I tell you now that progesterone RAISES your body's temperature. Just slightly, but enough to see it on a chart. So as you look at a chart, you should notice what they call a "thermal shift" which just means that the temperature rose after ovulation. Here is a nice chart with a text book thermal shift. Notice the red vertical line. That is the day of ovulation. Notice also that the day after ovulation the temperature rose by .3 degrees. Why did that happen? The progesterone released from the corpus luteum (the follicle that the egg came from) is beginning to raise the body temperature, thus signaling ovulation.

How do you get these temperatures? Like I said, you first need a basal body thermometer, but it's a little trickier than just taking your temperature. There needs to be consistency. Throughout the day, and on different days you may be more or less active, wearing warmer or colder clothes, etc. So temperatures throughout the day would be very variable. So you must take your temp first thing in the morning, at the same time every day. That sounds like a big pain to some, but it's not such a big deal. Most thermometers have a memory on them, so you can recall your temp later in the day. So here's how I do it. I have a standing alarm on my cell phone that goes off at 6:00 am (only when I'm charting, not always :) 6:00 am is a time when I know I am in a deep sleep, and I have been for at least 3 hours (another important factor). So I turn off the alarm, put the thermometer in my mouth, and try not to fall back to sleep before it beeps. Then I turn the thermometer off, and go back to sleep. Later in the day I check the temp, and enter it into my fertility friend chart. I have to admit that I, and everyone else I know that charts, am really excited to see what my temperature is every day. It's kind of like a soap opera, it leaves you hanging every day, and you gotta know what happens next!

So basically, you need that temperature every day, at the same time, with a basal body thermometer, when you have been sleeping for at least 3 hours. If you are missing any of those factors, your chart may not be as clear, but things are always perfect right? You are looking for a "thermal shift" of at least .2 degrees from one day to the next, and it must be sustained for at least 3 days.

Fertility friend doesn't just collect the data from your temp, but all signs of fertility. You can put any symptoms in such as cramps, headache, fatigue, anything really. There is also a spot for the days you had intercourse, and ovulation tests- which are really helpful. I recommend using temps, ovulation tests (OPKs as they are called), cervical mucous (cm), and cramps. I better explain those last two.

Most people are oblivious when they are ovulating, but most people who are charting are not. I never even knew I ovulated until the first month I tried to get pregnant. Suddenly I was in so much pain during ovulation, I couldn't understand how I ever missed it before. Many people have cramps relating to ovulation, so watch for those.

Cervical mucous. In the days of your fertile window, you will notice an increase in your cervical mucous. You can rate your cervical mucous in fertility friend by dry, creamy, sticky, and egg white. When you see that egg white cervical mucous, that really can't be missed- ewww. Shortly after ovulation (Within hours) you should start to dry up. Then you can know that ovulation has passed.

OPK's- I LOVE THESE! They OPKs or ovulation tests are created to detect that LH surge that makes you ovulate. When you have that surge, the OPK line should be VERY dark. As dark or darker than the control line. It should be very clear. Of course there are always exceptions. I buy my OPK's in bulk at www.saveontests.com. I do not recommend their pregnancy tests, only ovulation tests.

Charting is so great! I hope I explained it enough for you all. If you have any questions, feel free to email me 2boysrus@gmail.com.

Stay blogged and get preggot! Next post will be the plan for actually getting pregnant.

Random Post- Revitalash

2008-02-15T13:10:00.001-08:00

Okay, you're going to think I'm selling stuff on my site, but I promise I'm not making a penny. But I really want to advertise for Revitalash because they have changed my life! Okay, maybe that's a little bit dramatic, but I really like this stuff. SO, even though they aren't paying me for this advertising, they should because I am a believer!

Anyone who knows me would probably know that I have the shortest, lamest eyelashes ever. I have always had to curl my eyelashes and put on mascara just to prove that I have any! I was investigating eyelash extensions this year, and was hearing some bad opinions on them. I heard that many of the former eyelash extension users were using something called Revitalash.

Revitalash is applied at night just like a clear eyeliner. It's easy to use, and one tube should last for a LONG time. It usually costs about $150, but I found a seller on ebay who sold it for $89. I know that is way expensive, but the results have been amazing. My eyelashes are double the length that they used to be, they curl up on their own now, and I've only been using it off and on for a month. I love my long lashes! So if there are any mom's out there who need a pick me up (I always want a full-image makeover after I have a baby: wardrobe, hair, nails, everything!), and if you would like longer lashes, it's all about Revitalash!!!!!

Preggot Giveaway

2008-02-14T13:31:00.000-08:00

Time for another Preggot Giveaway. I want all you lurkers to link Preggot to your blog. Tell your friends about this blog. If you do that you'll be entered into a drawing for a cool prize. (TBA). All old links will be entered as well.

Stayed tuned for the next fertility post.... allllllmost done.

Happy Valentine's Day, and by the way: Stay blogged and get preggot! What a great day to do it!

Pregnancy Tip- Your Hormones

2008-01-31T21:46:00.001-08:00

I am planning on doing a series of posts on fertility and conception. Remember, this is all my basic understanding of it, and I am not a doctor. Unfortunately I cannot make you all pregnant, but I can maybe increase your understanding of your body and how to use this knowledge to help you get pregnant.

To start out I'm going to tell you about how the hormones in your body work. I will refer to these hormones in the later posts.

A brief overview of your hormones (as I understand it)

Pregnancy technically begins the day that your period starts. The reason being that your body cleans out the lining and prepares a fresh new lining for your baby to nestle in. So because this is the beginning of pregnancy, this is the first day of your “cycle,” and since it is a cycle I will get to why your period starts later. The first half of your cycle is estrogen driven. Meaning that everything occurs because of the estrogen your body is releasing. We’ve all heard of estrogen right? So I haven’t lost you yet. As estrogen is released it signals to the brain to release another very important hormone called the Follicle Stimulating Hormone or FSH. Inside your ovaries are “follicles” that have eggs inside them. Your body picks one of the many follicles and the FSH will nurture that follicle until it has grown to 18-30 mm. As this follicle grows it releases more estrogen which is going to trigger the next hormone, and a really important one- LH or lutenizing hormone. This lutenizing hormone comes in a big surge and it breaks down the follicle that surrounds the egg. About 12-36 hours after this surge the LH will break through the follicle and the egg bursts out. This is called ovulation.

The second half of your cycle is progesterone driven. Where does this progesterone come from? The follicle which the egg came from releases this progesterone. What does this progesterone do? Ahhh, it does a lot of things. One thing it does is raise your body temperature. This is important to know later. Progesterone keeps you from bleeding. Therefore if you are pregnant, the progesterone will keep you from bleeding so that the baby can get implanted and established. It’s very important in early pregnancy. But if you aren’t pregnant then the follicle shrivels up, stops releasing progesterone, and you will start to bleed.

Rule of Thumb- You can have periods without ovulating, but you can’t ovulate without having a period.

Explanation- You can bleed any time your body feels like it whether or not you are ovulating. Some people assume because they have periods they are fertile, but this isn’t always true- especially while breastfeeding. But the bleeding doesn’t necessarily mean ovulation/fertility. BUT, if you are ovulating, you WILL bleed 7-14 days later. The very act of ovulating, causing the increase and then drop in progesterone will make you bleed…. period. (no pun intended)

Breaking this all down to the basics in order- Estrogen/FSH, LH, ovulation, progesterone, bleeding, repeat.

Ready, set, go!

2008-01-29T19:45:00.000-08:00

First person to comment wins! Stay blogged and get preggot.

Another Preggot Giveaway!

2008-01-26T09:32:00.001-08:00

For the hip housewife. When you want to protect your cute designer clothes, but don't want to do so with a frumpy old apron. The lucky winner will receive one of my handmade aprons. I have a friend who makes "retro" hostess aprons, and since I just got a brand new sewing machine, I decided to make a little more practical halter apron with a cute wraparound sash (which makes a darling little criss-cross on your back). I have 3 color combinations right now for the winner to pick from. The pink and blue are pictured below.

Here is how the giveaway works. Some time between Monday and Thursday I will post asking for a comment. The first person to comment will win the prize! Check back daily to win the random giveaway. And if you don't win I'll be happy to sell you one. Good luck!

Random- Free Nail Polish & yogurt

2008-01-25T15:20:00.000-08:00

http://www.sallybeauty.com/Teenfreeway/teenfreeway,default,pg.html?cgid=Teen

Free Nail Polish at Sally with any purchase.

http://www.yoplait.com/products_yoplaitkids.aspx

They will mail you a coupon in 4-6 weeks

Pregnancy Tip- Make money by delivering a baby

2008-01-23T09:16:00.000-08:00

I hope you have enjoyed the previous posts from Preggot. This has been fun to share with Mothers and future Mothers throughout the world

Okay, at last, the long awaited post. How do you make money by having a baby? I can only tell you my own personal experience. It is certainly something that has been fun for us.

*****You cannot be pregnant right now. If you are pregnant right now, you can bookmark this page until you are getting ready to have another. *****

If you meet that criteria, read on….

I’m not selling anything here, I promise. I’m just telling you, mother to mother, how I made money by having my second and third child. So take a deep breath and read on…

It started with a flier left on my door when I was pregnant with my first child. An insurance agent was selling a fairly new product called “Supplemental insurance.” Supplemental insurance is a policy bought alone or in addition to your current health insurance. Meaning you can purchase it whether or not you have your own health insurance already. Supplemental Insurance companies don’t contract with health care providers. When they pay insurance claims, they pay a set amount, directly to the insured person. They don’t care how much your primary insurance company pays, they just cut you a check for their designated amount. Even if your insurance company pays 100% of your medical bills, they will pay you the same amount they would pay an uninsured person.

These supplemental insurance companies offer many different policies that pay for various different circumstances such as: hospitalization, ambulance rides, disability, etc. If you are planning on having a baby, and planning on having the baby in the hospital, one of these hospitalization policies could help you. Of course they don’t want to insure you if you are already pregnant because then they know that you will be hospitalized. So they are willing to take a chance on you if you appear to be a healthy person.

The hospitalization policies pay a set amount per day. So if you stay in the hospital for two days (like most women do), then they will pay you their allotted daily amount for each day. Like I said, this check comes in the mail, regardless of how much your hospital bill was, and regardless of how much your insurance paid.

Of course these insurances come with premiums, so you have to give some money upfront, but the payout in the end is worth it.

Does that make sense? I know it’s a strange idea, but it has worked for me twice now, and I’ve made a lot of money. I can’t tell you too many specifics as I’m not an insurance agent, but I can tell you that I got $8700 in checks after my third delivery. It varies for everybody, these policies are always changing. If you have further questions, feel free to email me, I can explain it more in depth over email. So here are my written instructions on how to make money by having a baby:

Email your contact information to supplementalinsurance@live.com. Your information will not be sold. You don’t need to worry about giving your contact information. This will simply get you in touch with the best supplemental insurance agent I know of in the state of Utah and surrounding states. He knows all the ins and outs, and is licensed with every supplemental insurance company of any worth.

10 months before your baby is born, you must sign up for all your policies. This means 10 calendar months, so if you sign up on October 5^th, you can’t have your baby before August 5^th if you want to be paid. If you have your babies early like me, you have to sign up at least 2 months before you try to get pregnant; I only have 8 month pregnancies.

Pay your monthly premiums on all insurance policies until after you have your baby.

4. Stay 2 full days in the hospital after having your baby. Check with your hospital’s billing department to find out exactly how long you have to stay to be charged for 2 full days. It can be tricky. But depending on what time of the day you have your baby, you may be able to leave sooner than 48 hours. Remember you aren’t admitted to the hospital until after you have delivered, so the clock doesn’t start until then.

Check the mail anxiously every day until your hospital bill comes.

Make lots of copies of that itemized hospital bill.

Fill out your forms and send them in with a copy of the itemized hospital bill

Less than two weeks later, you will receive your checks in the mail. If you don’t, be sure to call and bug them about it, but you WILL get paid.

Be grateful for supplemental insurance policies.

Some other random things:

These insurance companies will also pay SOME money for: ultrasounds, a few Dr. visits per year, and other random things. I went to the ER for a kidney infection once, and they paid part for my CT scan

If you have a miscarriage and you get a D&C, they will pay out for the D&C as a surgery. It’s enough to cover a few months of premiums.

Anyway, I hope this is helpful to all you future mothers out there. If you have any questions e-mail me and I will help you get the information you need. If any part of this is too vague, please comment and let me know. Of course it all makes perfect sense to me ;)

Oh, and by the way, “stay blogged and get preggot!”

Random Post- Free Toilet paper

2008-01-21T17:24:00.000-08:00

Sorry! This ended on Tuesday. But hold on to your coupons, Albertson's will run this sale again.

This week at Albertson's the Scott Extra Soft toilet paper is on sale for $1.00 for a 4-pack. The Sunday paper had $1.00 coupons in the inserts making it free! If you don't take the paper, you can also print out $1.00 coupons from the following links. So go get some free toilet paper today!

http://www.scottbrand.com/us/offers/coupon/index.asp
http://www.scottbrand.com/us/offers...n/extrasoft.asp
http://www.scottbrand.com/us/offers/coupon/contest.asp
http://www.scottbrand.com/us/offers/coupon/rdtissue.asp

Stay blogged and get Preggot!

Pregnancy Tip- Pregnancy tests

2008-01-21T16:43:00.000-08:00

Which pregnancy tests are the best? I've been asked that question a lot. The very best tests that I know of are purchased at www.webwomb.com. I honestly got a + test with my third child 8 days after conception! I've never tested + less than 11 days past conception with my other 3 pregnancies. No other test that I had (Yes, I know that I'm obsessed, but I treat my life like a science experiment) showed up + until 10 days, and it was very light even then.

The science behind pregnancy tests is that there is a strip on them that binds with the hormone hcg. Your body starts releasing hcg as soon as the little baby implants into your uterus. In a healthy, progressing pregnancy, the hcg in your bloodstream will double every 48-72 hours. Most people will test positive (using a decent pregnancy test) by 12 dpo (days past ovulation). This hcg in your blood is measured in mIU/mL as a number such as 15, 20, 25. Your average grocery store pregnancy test has a sensitivity of around 25 mIU/mL. Have you ever seen the commercial for the First Response Early Results test where they claim that you can test 5 days earlier than other pregnancy tests? The First Response test has a sensitivity around 20 mIU/mL. The webwomb.com tests are 15 mIU/mL-- The most sensitive tests I know of.

So my best recommendation for pregnancy tests is webwomb.com. If you aren't prepared enough to wait for them to come in the mail, my second choice is the generic brand at Walmart (Equate). My third choice is the DollarTree pregnancy tests, and if you have the patience, you can't beat the price! The DollarTree tests are still pretty sensitive, but their lines are a little bit lighter, which makes it a little harder to believe.

There are the new digital tests, which actually work really well, but will cost you a lot of money. But I bet it's fun to have a little device actually test you that you're pregnant.

The rule with pregnancy tests is "A line, is a line, is a line." If there are two lines on your pregnancy test, you are pregnant! The stories of false positives are few and far between.

One of my favorite resources when I was initially searching for the best pregnancy test was this website: www.peeonastick.com. Check out this website, it makes me look a little less obsessed with pregnancy comparatively, this woman actually has bought thousands of tests and taken them over the years.

While we're talking about pregnancy tests, let me put in a plug for ovulation tests. I think these are ESSENTIAL in the conception process, and I'll do a more in depth post about this another time. But if you're wondering what ovulation tests are best, let me tell you my observation. Spend as little as possible on ovulation tests, they all work. I personally buy my ovulation tests in bulk at www.saveontests.com. I DO NOT recommend their pregnancy tests, but their ovulation tests are the cheapest, and they work great.

Coming Soon!

2008-01-16T12:42:00.000-08:00

The long awaited post on how I made money by having a baby. I'm going to type it up and have it posted soon! Check back.

Motherhood Tip- Weaning/ Engorgement

2008-01-11T10:23:00.000-08:00

How do you stop engorgement? I was asked this question today. First lets talk about engorgement in general.

Engorgement is caused by having too much milk in the breasts. This is obviously very uncomfortable. I mean really, when you are engorged your breasts are at least double or triple their normal size. It's amazing how completely consumed your body becomes when this area is affected. I personally can't even lift my arms up to get dressed when I'm engorged. Engorgement is not only caused by the milk in your breasts, but swelling as well. Ibprofin can help reduce this swelling. Many people will tell you to put cabbage leaves in your bra to help with the pain. I disagree with this remedy. HEAT is what encourages your body to release the milk, so I believe that cooling the breasts contributes to the engorgement. I have a friend who was engorged for a whole week, and went through a lot of heads of cabbage. When she switched to heat and Ibprofin, it went away quickly. Lots of hot showers and baths, and frequent pumping to release some of the pressure is my best advice. Do not completely empty breasts with a pump, that will encourage more milk production, but just expessing a little bit of milk will help relieve the pressure.

So for the new mother who is engorged here is my plan of action- Heat, showers, frequent nursing/pumping, and Ibprofin. You don't want to do anything more than this if you want to continue nursing.

For the weaning mother I have some additional ideas to help engorgement. (Still use all of the above ideas too) When you are weaning, you are not only looking for relief from engorgement, but to stop milk production all together. Here are two things you can do to encourage your body to stop producing milk:

Sage- The herb "Sage" contains a natural estrogen, and therefore will decrease milk supply. Tinctures are the best and can be purchased at a local health food store. For instructions on using Sage to decrease milk click here. This website www.kellymom.com is a great resource for all breastfeeding questions.

Birth Control Pills- The majority of Birth Control pills contain estrogen, and estrogen suppresses milk supply. When I weaned my second baby I dried up in ONE DAY, with the assistance of a Birth Control Pill. It only took one pill for me, and I was dry as a bone. Birth control pills can now be purchased for $9 in their generic form at Walmart pharmacies. (Click here to see the list of their super cheap generic medications)

Benadryl or Sudafed- As an antihistamine, these drugs are designed to dry up bodily secretions. Milk included. Take a few of these, and it should really help you dry up.

My only other advice for weaning is to do it slowly if you can. Start dropping one feeding a week until you are done. Of course everyone is different, and this just isn't possible for everyone.

Motherhood Tip- Getting the baby weight off

2008-01-09T11:11:00.000-08:00

You know how exciting it is to finally get back into your old jeans after you have a baby? For me, I try them on once a week until they fit. For a few weeks I can squeeze into them, but I can barely breathe. So my advice is to put them on when they are really tight, along with a tight shirt. Then walk past every mirror in your house as many times as possible. You'll be so disgusted with yourself you'll never want to eat again.

I DO think that is good advice, but here is some more sound advice. Have you ever stood at the finish line of a marathon? Have you ever seen the people who are running those marathons? Sure, many of them are great runners, and are in great shape. Others, many others, are not in good shape, in fact I would dare call them overweight or even fat! How can these people run so many miles, and train for so long and still be fat?

Running is great. It is good in assisting you to lose weight, and it is very good for your health. But your body gets used to running pretty easily. And for a new mother, just burning calories isn't enough. There are certain areas that just suffer from pregnancy. After my second baby, I was having a hard time losing the baby weight. I was at the gym every day, but the weight around my mid section wasn't coming off. I started taking the body-sculpting classes at my gym, and within two weeks I was starting to feel like I had a waist again. Until I added a killer weight resistance hour at least 3 times a week, I couldn't get rid of my muffin-top figure. You have to work those core muscles to lose that core fat.

I'm not saying running isn't good, and it may even be enough for you, but I think that in order to have a more perfect mid section, you need to target-tone that area with weight resistance.

I am 2.5 months post partum right now, and I only have 5 pounds left to lose! But if you saw me you would think it was 35. I think all 5 pounds are hanging over my pants right now. So I need to get to work, myself.

P.s. I just squeezed into my jeans today, and all I ate for lunch was a grapefruit and some oatmeal. I think this may work for me. ;)

And the winner is......

2008-01-05T22:16:00.001-08:00

Wow! Thanks to all for helping get the word out for Preggot. If you keep the Preggot! link on your blog, you'll be entered into the future contests as well. We'll do another one next month, so stay blogged and get Preggot!

I promise I was totally honest on all this, I mixed them up really well, and the first name I drew out was.........

Congrats- You'll have your digital picture frame keychain next week!

Tidbit- Miscarriages

2008-01-05T10:41:00.001-08:00

UGGGGGH! I hate miscarriages. I have a friend who has had two identical miscarriages in a row. They have both been on the same day, before her period is even late. Very early, but very frustrating none-the-less. So what do you do if you have multiple miscarriages? Unfortunately very few people get an answer to that question. Your doctor will definitely try to get to the bottom of it after two miscarriages. I can tell you one thing you can try though: Progesterone Supplements.

It's kind of a chicken and egg thing. Is your progesterone low because you are going to miscarry, or do you miscarry because your progesterone is low? It hasn't really been proven either way, but there is no harm in trying progesterone supplements if you have had more than one miscarriage. Many women have been able to keep pregnancies with progesterone supplements after they have had multiple miscarriages without.

Progesterone supplements can't harm your baby, so if you are concerned about multiple miscarriages, or suspect you might have low progesterone, BEG YOUR DOCTOR FOR PROGESTERONE SUPPLEMENTS! Begging always works for me :).

One more thought on progesterone- if you are having trouble getting pregnant, and have short cycles, you may need progesterone supplements to even get pregnant.

If you have any questions feel free to comment or email me.

Tidbit- Linea Negra

2008-01-03T07:55:00.000-08:00

Okay, I am 2 months post-partum right now. I still have that stupid line down my belly. As if a post-partum belly isn't ugly enough, you have to add this nasty brown line. So does anyone know how to get rid of it? I used to think if I rubbed it enough I could get it to fade. Unfortunately, this line isn't on the outer layer of skin, so you can rub and rub, but it won't come off. The only thing you can do is wait. Don't worry, it almost always fades within a few months, and not longer than a year. *Sigh*

Preggot's posts

2007-12-23T13:58:00.000-08:00

Here is how Preggot's posts will work. There will be four types of posts: Pregnancy Tip, Motherhood Tip, Tidbits, and Random Posts. They will be labled as such and then the topic listed after the type. Today for Preggot's grand opening, I am posting all four. Enjoy! (Stay blogged and get Preggot!)

Pregnancy Tip- Top Ten ways to get pregnant

2007-12-23T12:09:00.000-08:00

10. Read my blog :)

9. If your partner has a low sperm count, all the tricks in world may not help you get pregnant. IUI (Often called artificial insemination) is fairly cheap these days, and will often times be the tool to overcome that low count.

8. If you have been trying for even a few months without success, start charting. Bringing a few month's worth of charts can cut down on the time before a doctor will start treating you for infertility. If you wait until the allotted 6 months-1 year to go into the doctor, he will probably ask you to start charting so they can identify the problem. Every month counts!

7. Take care of your body- Take vitamins, get sleep, don't overdo it while exercising, limit caffeine, don't let hubby take really hot baths/showers, etc.

6. Learn how to understand and read your body's fertile signs. How? Start by reading "Taking Charge of Your Fertility", or read the FAQ's on FertilityFriend.com. I will post more on "how" as well, at a later date.

5. Chart your fertility on and for even more clarity, chart your BBT or Basal Body Temperature

(Story- I have a friend who wanted to get pregnant awhile back with her second child. She had just finished breastfeeding her first child. She had resumed periods before she quit nursing, so she assumed she was fertile. She came to me after "trying" for a few months, and I told her to take OPK's and her BBT, and to create a fertility friend chart. She did this and determined that she wasn't ovulating. On day 24 of her cycle (10 days late), she finally got the + on the ovulation test, and her temperature went up the next day. Had she not been charting, she would never have known to "try" during those days, and would have had at least another month of frustration in not getting pregnant. Charting can REALLY help)

4. Use OPK's or Ovulation Predictor Kits to pinpoint ovulation

3. Elevate hips for 30 minutes after intercourse, but no longer. Infection won't help you get pregnant, that's for sure.

2. Pray!

1. Make a plan. My absolute favorite plan is written by a woman named Deanna. She calls it the "Sperm Meets Egg Plan." I think this gives you the absolute best chance of getting pregnant aside from using medical intervention. Don't "try" any more than this plan tells you to, that will actually lower your chances of the sperm meeting the egg. This is a MUST READ, it is great!

Motherhood tip- Fussy babies

2007-12-23T10:20:00.000-08:00

Ugggh, fussy babies. My second child was and is the definition of fussy. My third child is very easy usually, but I went to a party last night where he just WOULDN'T sleep. He was so bad! I could have kicked myself for not having my secret weapon for fussy babies. Yes, I have a secret weapon that makes mothering a newborn SO MUCH EASIER!

First of all- hiccups. They drive me crazy! Have you ever just fed your baby, and lay them down to sleep and the second you do.... BAM, the hiccups hit! It makes me so mad. I have the cure.....

Second, there is the fussing without any apparent reason why. I lay my baby down to sleep, and he just can't quite settle down.

Third, there is the full blown colic. My second child just cried and cried, and it was nearly impossible to console him.

My secret weapon is called......... Gripe Water. Have you ever heard of it? I've done a lot of research on Gripe Water, and they've been using it for years and years in Canada and the UK. Gripe Water is an herbal supplement that soothes babies' stomachs and helps them be SO much happier. Here is what I recommend:

Baby Bliss Gripe Water- available at some stores and many sites online including drugstore.com

This Gripe Water contains Ginger and Fennel (So it smells like licorice), and it is awesome for hiccups. Without fail, it cures my baby's hiccups instantly! It is probably the cheapest gripe water, and easiest to find

Colic Ease Gripe Water- available online.

I have checked the label on this several times to make sure it still says, "NO ALCOHOL," because I can't understand how it works so well. My baby can be fussing, grunting, screaming, and a few drops of this will put him right to sleep. It has different ingredients including: dillweed seed oil, caraway seed oil, cinnamon bark oil, clovebud oil, and cardamom oil. Somehow this combination is so soothing to babies, the instant it goes down their throats it calms them down. It's amazing!

My secret tool is Gripe Water, and after extensive research, I have decided that these are the best and cheapest kinds available. I have never tried gripe water on an older child, only on infants up to 4 or 5 months. If anyone uses it for their older children, please let me know, I would love to hear how it works. And if anyone who has used it wants to leave a testimonial, please do so in the comments!

Random Post- Enter into the drawing!

2007-12-23T08:23:00.000-08:00

My Random Posts will really be random, whatever I feel like posting: good deals, giveaways, fun ideas, whatever!

Today's random post is a giveaway. The prize..... a digital picture frame keychain. Perfect to show off your pictures. You have until January 5th, 2008 to enter. Here's how to enter: Place a link to Preggot on your website and email me or comment so I know. You will automatically be entered in the drawing on January 5th. If you don't have a blog, email 3 of your friends and tell them about Preggot and cc me on the email. click here to email me

So be sure to link Preggot.blogspot.com to you blog so you can enter to win this awesome prize! Once you have posted the Preggot.blogspot.com on your blog and keep it there you will also be in Preggot's future drawings.

Tidbit- Yeast Infections

2007-12-23T08:11:00.000-08:00

Tidbits will be posted randomly, with whatever short tips or ideas I think of. Today's tidbit came to mind because I am taking an antibiotic right now. So while it's on my mind, I'll post it as a tidbit.

Why do we get yeast infections, and why are we more likely to get them while taking antibiotics?

In your body you have a very delicate balance of good bacteria and yeast. If the balance is messed up in any way one of the two can take over causing an infection. Antibiotics kill the bad bacteria and the good bacteria. When the antibiotics kill off the good bacteria, the yeast takes over, colonizing in unpleasant area.

There are two ways to treat a yeast infection. One- kill off as much yeast as possible. Killing yeast is fairly easy to do with an over-the-counter cream (Monistat or whatever is cheap). Two- add good bacteria to your body. You can do this by eating yogurt or taking acidopholus pills straight (available in any grocery store's vitamin section).

About Preggot!

2007-12-18T11:23:00.000-08:00

What the heck is Preggot?
Preggot is a name that makes you wonder... doesn't it? The purpose of this website is to inform people on the topics of pregnancy and motherhood, but is not limited to those two subjects. There will be other posts including: good deals, contests, giveaways, and even travel information. Therefore, Preggot is a name that indicates, but does not limit, the website to being about my current favorite topic to research, talk, and write about: PREGNANCY! So why not name it Preggo? Well wouldn't that be a site only about pregnancy? A "T" can make a big difference you know.

Who the heck are you?
I am a mother of 3 children born in 3.5 years. Obviously I know something about pregnancy and motherhood, right? I am an avid internet researcher, who has spent way too many hours over the last 4 years researching these topics. Through this research I have a grundle of information, and have gathered some of the best tricks and links in existence on the world wide web. Not to mention the 2,000 questions I have asked my doctors while they were trapped in an examination room with me (Totally disregarding that anxious, "I have other patients to see you know," look they gave me.) I am very in tune with my own body, and have a fairly excellent knowledge of what goes on with the female reproduction system. Some of you may feel like you already know most of this stuff, but I would tell you to start asking around and see how many other people know what you know. "Do I have fertile signs?" my friend asked me. Hello!?!? How did you have 2 children? This blog is for you people who want more information, and want it explained in plain English. For those of you who feel like you already know everything, or even know much more than me- I encourage you to comment on this blog, or heck, go start your own if you know so much. Really, I don't know it all, this blog is just for what I DO know. (or at least what I THINK I know)

The first exciting post will be December 23rd. So stay blogged and get preggot!

2007-12-15T09:08:00.000-08:00