Destanie that is ridiculous! So sorry for the added stress! If I was looking at apartments, I would feel weird about checking one out that was obviously being lived in! I hope it goes smoothly and it will be so awesome to be in a bigger place, I"m sure!

For some reason, I have not done the raspberry leaf tea in my 2 previous pregnancies, but my cousin already sent me some to use with this one. I will start taking it in the 3rd trimester probably. I'm trying to get back into swallowing raw garlic every day, but I don't always remember. Its supposed to be really good for your heart, blood pressure and to avoid swelling. I feel so huge already, too! I've never been so big this early. I'm hoping it balances out. I'm up 15 lbs at 15 weeks right now and hoping to stick with gaining a pound a week for the rest of the 2nd trimester.

I've been getting in exercise most days. I actually went running twice this past week since it was nice outside! I didn't think I could still do it b/c i always end up walking on my treadmill, but there is something so awesome about being outdoors! Its just easy to keep going! I think it helps, too, to be able to change my pace automatically, whereas with the treadmill, you have to keep pace or adjust manually.

We uncovered our pool, too! Its pretty nasty b/c the water from the cover ended up pouring in, but I'm hoping to get it all cleaned out and hooked up by the end of the month. Maybe the weather will actually turn hot like its supposed to around here! lol (Its been unseasonably cold here in Virginia).

We're going to Florida in a month, so I'm super excited! I wanted to go before being way too big. I just have to find a cute bathing suit. I have bottoms that will work and I was thinking of just getting a matching colored tankini top from Target. Maternity suits are SO expensive!!! Anyone else making vacation plans?

How is everyone doing? I know there really isn't a whole lot to talk about at this point, but I'm still curious! LOL I made the appt for my big ultrasound...its the 30th and I will be almost 19 weeks. We aren't finding out the gender, but it will still be cool to see a better image of the baby. plus my husband missed the dating ultrasound and she kind of rushed through it.

When are your ultrasounds? Are you going to find out or wait?

Hi all! Yes pictures would be fun! Here's instructions to post pictures. I prefer http://tinypic.com/ because you do not need an account.

Instructions:

Hosting the Picture

1) Go to an image-hosting site (for example, photobucket or tinypic- photobucket requires making an account). Upload your picture. To do this, click the button that says "Browse" and choose your photo from there. When you have selected your photo and clicked "OK", click the UPLOAD button.
2) Wait until it is completely loaded and shows you a bunch of different codes. We're going to use the URL that's called IMG (or Image) code. Highlight the entire code, right click, and click "copy".

Placing the Picture on MFP
1) Get onto your favorite board or wherever you would like to post the picture, and start your message. Now, right click inside this typing/text box, and click "Paste", The code that you coped earlier should show up. You may notice that the code looks something like this: (without the spaces)

[ IMG ] http://i48.tinypic.com/qqebzq.jpg [ /IMG ]

Well, that's all fine and dandy, except that we can't have those capital letters in there.

2) Take the code that you have down, and change the capital IMG to lowercase img (on both ends of the code), so that it looks something like this: (without the spaces)

[ img ] http://i48.tinypic.com/qqebzq.jpg [ /img ]

3) Write whatever else you feel like writing in the space, then click the Post button, and you're done!!


REMEMBER, remember to manually change the capitalized IMG to lowercase img! Hope that helps!

We should do belly pics, too, since we're all into the 2nd trimester now! Mine is way bigger this pregnancy, but at least I'm looking unmistakably pregnant! LOL (finally!)

This is 15 weeks:

Actually nevermind b/c i can't figure out how to do it! LOL

Bummer! I couldn't just re-edit. Thanks so much for the instructions! I never would have thought to change the capital letters to lowercase! lol

Congratulations!!! How exciting! I have two little girls and they are SO much fun!!! I had an anterior placenta with my last baby and I despite it, I do remember being able to feel her fairly early. They do say, though, that its easier to tell with subsequent pregnancies b/c you know what it feels like, etc. I've been feeling this little one for the past week...just flutterings, but I keep pressing on my belly expecting to feel a foot or elbow! lol You will feel her soon! I'm so happy for you!!! Love the belly pics, too! You look so great!!!

For some reason I feel like I'm having a boy, but I'm probably wrong! Alright, I will try my 15 week pic again!
I'm already up 15lbs! But I'm hoping the rate of gain is slowing down.

Ok here is my week 18 pic:

Exciting news! I felt the baby move for the first time yesterday! Such an amazing thing!

Alright, finally have a moment to give an update!

Saw my midwife this week and everything is coming along just fine. Bloodwork all looks good, set up my next ultrasound, that sort of stuff. She told me to stop weighing myself after I admitted that my gain of 16-17 lbs at 17 weeks is freaking me out a bit, despite my best efforts to have the attitude that my body is doing what it needs and it will all work out. Started feeling the baby move around 15 weeks, which is 2 weeks earlier than my first pregnancy. Started with the rolling around type of movements, then felt a definite kick at 16 weeks. Still not feeling a ton at this point, but it's starting to become more frequent when I sit still and pay attention. Last pregnancy I had a desk job and noticed every little thing going on, but it's different this time around being on the move chasing a toddler and doing stuff around the house all day, so there are gaps several hours long where I'm just too busy to notice the movements. Looking forward to the stronger kicks that can be felt on the outside so my husband can feel, too.

Loving the belly pics you guys have posted! I changed my profile pic to the one I took earlier this week at 17w2d. Still just looking thicker, but not quite pregnant. Maybe in another two weeks! Showing later is kind of nice because it feels like it's still my secret for a little while longer, but a lot of days it makes me feel dumpy because I'm at that in between stage with clothes (either sausaged in or baggy), and I think others (esp at the gym) look at me and think "Wow, she really packed on the weight this winter!". I totally did it with another woman (not out loud, in my head!) only to over hear her talking about her pregancy to someone else later on. She was 16w at that point but was wearing a loose top, so all I could tell was that she was bigger, not that she was pregnant.

Meggwyn - You asked what some of DH's name suggestions are. The other day he suggested (spelled phonetically because I don't know the proper spelling) "Me-she-suave", and grunted when I had to ask if it was a boy name or girl name. There was a girl name he suggested that sounded like "Justina" but said with an accent, and he corrected me but I still can't get it right. Some names are fairly straight forward, last night he suggested "Monika", but I said I feel like everybody is just going to see it and say "Monica" like on Friends, not "Mon-E-ka" like it is pronounced in Polish. So even if the spelling is easy, it's going to be anglicized by anyone non-Polish/non-family/friends. Same with his #1 pick last pregnancy, he really wanted to use Szofia, pronounced "ZOH-fia", not "So-FEE-ah" like in English. It just drives me batty when people mispronounce names. My maiden name was easy, it looked exactly like it sounded, yet half the people I met whould throw an "A" where there was an "O". Bugged the crap out of me. Now I have a crazy last name and although I knew what I was getting into when I took it, I get kind of annoyed when people ask/poke fun at it. I just want my kids to have easy first names since they're stuck with a crazy last name! :laugh:

Awesome News!

My husband and I can't seem to agree on names either. I like the name Arianna and he likes the name Olivia. Was thinking about combining them as first and middle - Arianna Olivia or Olivia Arianna. I think Olivia Arianna flows better ... but I really do want Arianna (pronounced aR-E-onna not airy-ana) to be her first name and DH hates it as a first I tried starting over and looking at names again but nothing else seems to be sounding quite right to me.

I really like z sounds especially in names and even considered Zofia or Zola, but DH didn't like them and I too worried that people would pronounce Zofia as Sofia.

This weekend is our big move! moving into a 3 bedroom to make room for baby.. and I cannot believe the amount of junk we've acquired in just 3.5 years of living here. This week has been a mess with boxes everywhere, half packed rooms, and my husband stressing over the amount of clutter. I try to tell him its temporary and only a few days left to endure it.. but he really lets it get to him and stress him out. He is also worried we won't be able to move everything this weekend either. I am a little worried but more optimistic

my big concern is Sunday I have to make an appearance at my mom's for Easter and she lives 2 hours away .. so most of my Sunday will be spent with family and not moving. But we have the house until the 26th so we have some time.. we just need the majority of the stuff out so we can clean and repaint.

Tuesday is my next appt. and the halfway mark We will be having the anatomy ultrasound and conformation thats its a girl I will update you on the move and the appt next week!

Happy Easter!

New here! American expat in the middle east, second kid due mid-September.

I'm 5'7" and gained 50lbs during my first pregnancy (stepped on the scale after my water broke and was happy to see 199.8lbs, at least I didn't cross into the 200's, right?). Had an emergency C-section, so was late in starting to lose the weight, but breastfeeding took care of a lot. Was back to below pre-pregnancy weight (low 140's) by the time baby turned 10 months. I think that's fair - took me 10 months to put it on, and 10 months to take it off.

This time though, I'm aiming for a healthy 20-25lb gain maximum. I'm 20 weeks along and have already gained a bit too much, so I snagged my husband's FitBit, plugged it into MFP and started tracking my food again. Aiming for 2000 cal per day net after exercise. So far the only activity is pre-natal yoga, but I want to start walking more. Problem is it's so damn hot here (already well over 100 with high humidity) that I need a treadmill. Boo.

As for the pregnancy itself, baby belly is starting to poke through, but everything else is gas. I've been a bloated whale since the second month. By the end of the day I look 7 months along! So no cute baby bump pics. Also, I've started feeling kicks for real over the last two weeks.

Aw, you look great, Destanie! I hope your ultrasound stuff went well. We just had our ultrasound on Wednesday and it was so amazing! I love seeing the person moving around. We aren't finding out the gender, but it just feels like a boy to me.

I'm wondering if anyone else is getting any swelling in their legs/feet at all yet? I had awful swelling with my first and hardly any with my second. With this one, I'm only 19 weeks and my legs are getting tight and puffy at night. I'm wondering if its b/c i spend so much of my day sitting down since I do so much sewing stuff. (I have a little home sewing business).

I've decided to take less orders and make fitness a priority, starting when I get home from vacation in 2 weeks and I hope that helps the swelling go away! I do NOT want cankles again! It was miserable the first time!

How are you all doing?

Welcome Claedwar! I'm due the day after you!

Just got home from vacation the beginning of the week. I did tons of swimming in both pools and the ocean. My swelling disappeared, which I was so happy about! I think it was all of the water time, not sitting constantly (like I do at home), and relaxing! I felt like I lost some flab/water retention. Unfortunately, ate pretty awfully on the return trip, but I'm trying to get back into the swing of things. I did TONS of gardening yesterday and want to try to make exercise a daily priority. My pool is nasty right now, but once the water is clear again, I will be swimming every day! I swear, its so good for swelling!!!!

I'm not sure if I mentioned the results from my ultrasound, but I found out my placenta is posterior, which I'm super excited about! It was anterior last time and that made my daughter stay in the posterior position for most of labor. This time, the baby should hopefully be anterior and that should speed things up! I actually felt a kick from the outside the other day! I love that! Can't wait to feel like feet and elbows sticking out! I was laying on my stomach (I had built a sort of nest of towels to rest my stomach in) and the baby started kicking like mad! I guess it didn't like being squished! lol

Anyway, 21 weeks now. Hard to believe that I only have another 21 weeks at most until I meet this little person!!! I'm starting to get really excited! I can't wait to nurse him/her and I make a brand new cloth diaper stash! I'm super excited about that! I have a little cloth diaper business that I started after making diapers for my second. but I didn't do it until she was older. I'm really excited about having a special newborn stash!

I guess I will have to start getting baby stuff over the next few months, too! I'd like a new swing that plugs in instead of taking batteries. And I need a new boppy pillow. I'd love to make my own crib bedding, but doubt I'll have the time. And a new car seat! Anyone else getting their lists ready? I'll be scouring craigslist for sure! lol

My profile pic is 20 weeks taken towards the end of my vacation!

Oh, and I'm starting this pregnancy not exactly overweight, but at a higher weight than I was. I started my 1st pregnancy around 150, my 2nd pregnancy at 138 and this one at 145lbs. I'd gotten down to the upper 120's last summer, though, so I'm disappointed I put so much weight back on before getting pregnant this time. (My husband returned home from an 11 month deployment and I went into honeymoon, lazy, eat crap mode for several months! LOL Whoops!) SO, I AM trying to be careful, but also trying not to obsess. Whatever we gain WILL come off afterwards. It just takes a bit more effort when there is more to lose. I got up to 196 with my first! And 183 with my second. So as disappointing as it is to watch the scale go up, it WILL go back down, so don't stress too much! (hugs)

I started exactly where your at! This is my second, started at 145, now at 161. Got up to 180 with my first. I'm only 5'1 so I'm really trying to not exceed 170 this time around, I'm due Sept 14th. Looking forward to giving birth and getting back on the intense workouts, would love to be 125 again!

How cool! And I totally hear ya about looking forward to intense work outs again! I wish I had the energy and lung capacity and strength b/c I miss those thing! LOL BUt its all worth it!

I'm actually considering not weighing myself at all for the rest of my pregnancy. When I look at myself, (while I see where i need improvement..I've definitely gotten back fat, love handles and a little flab on my thighs), I think I look fine and healthy enough. But whenever I weigh myself, I start feeling bad about myself, even though the number on the scale doesn't change the way I look! Anyone know what I mean?
I eat well most of the time with treats thrown in, though I eat a LOT! I looked back over my past week and realized I generally eat about 2400 cals a day. Thats just where it ends up being by the time I feel satisfied at night. I started tracking potassium, calcium, and sodium, instead of fats, etc (since i'm always over anyway!) and if I bother to track, my focus will be on the nutrients...not being under of over cals. I've actually done well decreasing my sugar intake over the past 21 weeks, so I should be happy with that. And as long as I get some exercise in, it should really pan out. I just need to up the intensity of my exercise. I've been getting in nightly walks lately, but I don't break a sweat or anything. I probably need regular treadmill time.

Is anyone else falling into this sort of philosophy, too?

Yes! I was always over on my sugar and I always go over with fats too. I did manually adjust my macros, but I honestly only pay attention to the protein. I avoid bready carbs, but I don't care if I go over with veggies and fruit. And some of those things are high cal! I eat at least one avocado a day, and thats over 300 calories. If I have two avocados, that would be close to 700 cals right there! But they're good for me, so I don't worry about it. I cook stuff in coconut oil, too, which is another high fat/high cal food that good for you, but makes my calories high. I figure 2200 calories should be good for being in the second trimester. (If 1900 is maintenance for me and I up it by 300). So if I can burn 200 or more calories a day, it should balance out. But I do seem to be on track to gain 40-45lbs again. (I was at 170 last time I weighed). At least I know how to lose it afterwards! lol Gotta look at the bright side! You sound like you're doing great and have a good system in place!

I just had to search for my last update - it's been over a month! I'm at 23 weeks now. All looked good at my 20w u/s, and we decided once again to keep the gender a surprise. We were home on "vacation" last week, and it went relatively well considering I never find our visits home relaxing (too many people to see in too little time) and I really am a homebody and I get tired of staying with other people (even my own parents) after about 3 days. We were possibly exposed to Fifth Disease while we were home, which is not a big deal for my daughter or husband if they get it, but it's definitely something you don't want to catch while pregnant. Fortunately I was past the 20w mark (before 20w it can be really bad), and I'm now waiting on bloodwork to see if I'm either immune or infected with the virus. Fingers crossed for immune!

Weight is still higher than I'd like. I was +24.5lbs at 23w. Still eating healthy and working out when I can, but I'm definitely slowing down much sooner this time. Last pregnancy my pelvis didn't give me too much grief until about 27 weeks, it started much earlier this time. I took DD for a walk this morning and I had to cut it short because I just couldn't go any further. Went for another quick walk with DD and DH before supper and DH had to keep slowing down so I could catch up. We only went around the block! I have an Rx for physio, and I think it may be time to venture down that road.


Destanie - Did your doc tell you to fast for the glucose test? With my first I was able to eat beforehand, and I had the orange drink. It tasted like flat orange pop, and it wasn't as bad as some people told me it was going to be. The only bummer is that you have to sit still while you wait, which I didn't like because I worked next door and thought I'd be able to go and come back when it was time for the blood to be drawn. Bring a good book! This time I have to coordinate with DH so he can look after DD while I do the test because there's no way she'll sit still at the blood lab for that long. Come to think of it, an hour on my own with a book sounds good...!

I did the glucose tolerance test this morning and it wasn't so bad.. I wouldn't want to repeat it though. Basically I fasted from 7 pm to 8:50 am, breaking the fast with the dextrose lemon-lime drink. The drink tasted like over sweetened Gatorade and was slightly viscous. They took one blood draw right before the drink and then had me wait in the waiting room for an hour. I felt a little faint (I am assuming from the super sweet drink hitting my stomach all at once), but it mostly passed after 15-20 mins. Once we got to the hour mark they took my 2nd blood draw and then sent me back to the waiting room to wait for another hour, at the end of the second hour they took the third and last draw and sent me on my way to get some real food in me! My biggest complaint was the waiting room did not have internet access and I had brought my laptop with me to work.. but was unable to get anything done.

Overall - dreaded but not too bad.

How's the rest of you doing?