In my last post's comment box, Lee asked a question:
Hi Laura-
I am so happy that your ultrasound went so well and that everything looks great!
I hope you don't mind my asking, but it's rare (unfortunately!) to have the opportunity to ask this of a woman who has had (almost) six children. You mentioned that you have big babies -- has each been bigger than the last? My last (#2) was 10lbs, 6 oz., and I'm rather worried about the next one. I didn't have gestational diabetes either..
If this is too personal of a question, please ignore!
Again, congrats on the great news about Thomas!
Best,
Lee
I think I've talked about this before so it's not big deal for me to mention it again!
1. Katrina, born 2 days after (ultrasound predicted) due date (all natural, not induced): 8lbs
2. Matthew, born 2 days before (ultrasound predicted) due date (induced because we thought he was breach...went for ECV a week before but it didn't work so we went to the hosp. for cesarean and wallah, he had turned in the night! So, the doctor said I was HUGE and he would gel me and that's pretty much all it took to get him going...he was born about 6 hours after the second "gelling". Also, a bit unusual but I had a TREMENDOUS amount of amniotic fluid which allowed him to wiggle around so much even though he was): 9lbs 6oz
3. Analise, born about 5 days after (ultrasound predicted) due date (induced for no other reason than it was a good time for everyone, I guess):8lbs 13 oz
4. Niklaus, born ON his (ultrasound predicted) due date! All natural, not induced at all. In fact, I would have liked (at the time) him to have waited a week because I didn't feel "ready" for some, stupid reason. I didn't even have a bag packed for the hospital because I was so convinced he wouldn't come for another week or unless we forced him out!: 10lbs 6oz (it was very hard and the epidural didn't work, I thought I was going to DIE from the pain).
5. Mariela, born one week earlier than her (ultrasound predicted) due date. I was in great fear that she was going to be huger than Niklaus because even though Analise was smaller...I just had it in my head that they were getting progressively larger and I didn't think I'd be able to manage an 11 lb baby! Also, she was born on Feb. 26Th and I was worried about the winter drive to a hospital that was a lot farther away (about 45 minutes) and wanted everything to be "under control". It was by far the best delivery with NO pain! She was only 8lbs 5oz so my fears were unfounded.
She probably would have been only a little over 9lbs if we let her go on her own. My doctor said in the beginning that it seemed like my girls might be smaller and I guess she was right! I have the same doctor this time and I was thinking to myself, "If this is a girl, I'm just going to let her go whenever she wants to." but now that I know it's a boy...and I'm unsure about the date (I think the first ultrasound is the most accurate seeing as how my two, other boys were predicted by ultrasound and were pretty close and dead on!), I don't quite know what I'm going to do about that. I guess pray that I'll be able to make a good decision when it gets a lot closer to that time! I have a few hours when I start going into labor, so I know I'll get to the hospital in time (same hosp. as Mari this time) but I REALLY fear another ten pound baby, no matter HOW much "control" I have over the situation. It was HARD. I'm not going to be brave about that. I'm a total wimp when it comes to birthin' pains! I really am so surprised that I survived Niklaus (the after time was NO picnic and was hard to recover from). I got very depressed because of the discomfort afterwards.
The totally stupid, horrible doctor that delivered him insisted that I must have been diabetic (even though I never had any symptoms and passed the test with flying colors!). When I told my regular doctor (he wasn't on call that weekend...I never forgave him for that!) he just shrugged and kind of laughed it off and said that I just had big babies (he is cronies with stupid doctor and even if he was a little miffed at him for suggesting a missed diagnosis, he didn't show it...after that whole show, I went to a different doctor, the one I have now).
Soooo, from my online research, I see that one can have big babies because of being overweight during pregnancy (if it's not diabetes, that is) or if one has a lot of "big boned" relatives (if ya know what I mean!). I think my boys are bigger because I get bigger due to the fact that the girls make me sicker during pregnancy (especially early) and I don't eat as much. I don't have that particular problem with the boys. So, it could be my fault? I was really trying to watch what I ate this time, but I get sick to my stomach if I don't eat and end up pigging out like usual. I've even felt super hungry (like I'm really starving!) after eating a full meal! The last two months have been so weird this time. I've had moments where I feel like I've been fasting for two days and I've just had a snack! It's almost like I'm a bottomless pit. If I don't eat something when I feel like that, I feel like I'm going to puke! I don't know if it's the baby or me but I'm going to blame the baby, I think! Nothing really satisfies me. I'll eat lots of protein, high fiber, moderate sugar...it doesn't matter. I still feel hungry. Oh well, I'm glad I'll have time to get back in shape before summer, at least! Meanwhile, I'm just going to sit here getting fatter and fatter until I explode or something. Wanna watch?
