*~*Emily's Birth Lodge*~* (Emilys3Guppies-soon to be 4 Guppies!)

Awww I've loved your story so far!! How did you and DH meet?

Thanks for the great story with all the photos! You're such a pro!

I found out I was pg with this baby in January when I was 7 weeks along. I was not expecting to be pg but I wasn't discounting the idea either.

My Dec cycle was a slow one for DH and I...getting ready for Christmas sucks the energy out of us and we don't get much time to DTD. We DTD once, about a week before Christmas, during that whole cycle.

We were using condoms as our form of BC but apparently SUCK at it. DH no sooner got the condom on then he was complaining about it and ripped it off..."It's strangling me!" I distinctly remember telling him that I'd better not get pg or I'll be right pissed. He pulled out in more than enough time to finish elsewhere but I guess the damage had been done.

I pulled out my back the next day and ended up going into the hospital for a sore back on Christmas Day. I was on meds for my back. Then, in the beginning of January I had a hemorrhoid flare up and thrombose. After a moment in my kitchen where I nearly passed out, I went into the hospital to get it excised. OUCH! Much better though. Again with pain meds. I wasn't surprised when my period didn't come on time because of how stressful the past few weeks had been on my body with my back and my bottom...also I was still nursing my youngest baby.

I took the test and couldn't believe it! LOL! I went in for a dating ultrasound that put me at almost 8 weeks pg. :)

This pregnancy has been fairly uneventful. I started underweight but have gained 30lbs, so that's all good. My baby weaned from the breast about 10 weeks ago when my milk dried up...he just wasn't interested if there wasn't going to be a payout for him. LOL!

I opted for a 20 week ultrasound this time and we found out that we're expecting a boy! All of our other babies have been birthday surprises but we thought we'd do it differently this time. I don't know what I like better...from a logical standpoint it was nice to find out the sex, but from an emotional standpoint it's nice to wait until birth.

I've gone with a new practice of midwives for this pregnancy, as we've moved since we last had a baby. They seem really great and supportive, so I'm optimistic for a great birth with them. They are pleased with how uneventful my pregnancy has been so far too. Good bp, good heartrates, good weight gain. The baby has been measuring 2-4 weeks ahead by fundal measurement but we're not concerned for a baby "too big" after Nolan's giant head. :)

My only issue so far is with hemorrhoids. I had another one thrombose last week and had to go into the ER to have it excised. I'm in considerable pain now. Ick. The ER doc was awesome though...a flamboyant gay man named Dr Leon (his first name). After the procedure was done he told me I had a lovely bottom! LOL!!!

I'm concerned about going into labour while my bottom feels like this. I'm also concerned that if I stay pg for too much longer that I will develop more thrombosed hemis that will make my situation a little more complicated, as far as pushing out babies. I'm sure that this last hemi developed because baby moved down and put more pressure on my rectum. That's not going to get better before birth, so maybe we'll all hope that this baby arrives AFTER my bottom feels less raw from the last procedure but BEFORE another one becomes necessary. :) I've had some, TMI, diarrhea for the past 24 hours and it's aggrivating the area already so I'm countering it with lots of fiber to help bind stuff. Hopefully that will help.

Here are some pictures of this pregnancy. :)

15 weeks pg
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f3...weekbellah.jpg

25 weeks pg
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f3...ellies/25a.jpg

35 weeks pg
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f3.../35weeks-1.jpg

ETA: Ariel, I met DH at a bar. I was bartending and the guy I bartended with had a birthday...he invited me out and also invited out all his single guy friends telling them that he was bringing a bunch of waitresses to set them up with! I had no idea. But, DH was the only guy there not looking to 'hook up' that night, so I gave him my number. :) He called 3 days later and we've been inseperable since. We moved out together 4 months after we met, and got engaged about 9 months after we met. :) We're so in loooooooooove. Awww.

Yay I can't wait to meet this little one and be present for it WOOT

Awww I bartended for a while too!!! I can definitely tell you two are in LOVE!! Very sweet :)

Thanks for sharing some great stories of your past births! Love learning more about you. You poor thing with the hemi issues this time around. Ouch! I hope you are able to heal up and have baby before any more arrive.

Woot, another lodge for you! (I look so pointy in that picture. LOL) I can't wait for your birth, it's going to be another GREAT one!

You're looking fabulous! I'm hearing you about the hemis- I'm only barely halfway through and it's a major issue. It sucks that its one of those things that you just don't discuss in polite society but it can literally take over your life if they get bad enough. Bad news. I'm eager to hear how your labor plays out, I hope the evil hemis don't interfere.

Oooh, now I can stalk you openly!!! ;)

Just wanted to tell you again that I've So been there with the hemi issue. Mine were such constant companions while pregnant that I named them. :roll: I guess it helped to have a sense of humour about it. If you have any more problems with them, please do yourself a favor and request they lance them, rather than excise them. The pain after having them removed is pretty extreme (I literally WANTED TO DIE) where as having it lanced is instant relief and very minimal pain. I do not understand why this isn't offered, especially to pregnant women, when the cause of the hemis in the first place (the pressure of the gravid uterus on your veins) will resolve within weeks.

BTW, my dad had this same surgery done, as an inpatient (though, he had several done at once). He as on IV morphine for 3 days, and was ordered to stay off work for 6 weeks.

Anyways, I hope that unpleasantness is done with for you and you're able to heal up well in time for the birth!!! You may get more during the birth from pushing (or not, since you won't be pushing for long, I don't think), but I found that once the pressure was gone (no more gravid uterus), they went away quite quickly and didn't bother me much at all.

The hemis are taking over. I feel trapped now. I'm the kind of person who walks everywhere...4 miles+ a day. But I can't walk right now as I don't want to risk aggrivating them by standing, friction or walking.

So the poor children are stuck inside. They are driving me NUTS! I love them so much but dang! I kicked them into the backyard this afternoon and told them that unless there was blood, I didn't want to hear from them until I called them. They feel housebound, I feel housebound and we're all itching to get out and about.

I see my midwife in the morning for my 36 week appt, so we'll see what she says about them then. Until then, I'm using sitz baths, witch hazel, ice packs and castor oil on them. Castor oil is great for circulation, healing and blood vessel issues...so you dab it onto the hemi and it helps with healing. Used this way isn't a labour induction though, so no worries there.

Arty, I love that pic of you and Mallory! You are so pretty! And we were so young then....*sigh*. I realize it was only 5 years ago, but it seems like forever.