IMore....

I am 18 yrs old and just graduated high school early. We are very excited about my pregnancy because only 4 weeks before concieving i was in the hospital and was told i may not be able to have children at all. After that rough encounter and preparing myself for the future, i missed a period and at 7 weeks- we found out we really were having a little one!

We're having a little girl! Annalise Elaine Killinger..

Well im awake in the middle of the night, but this little girl has been moving for like 45 minutes now! Its so amazing to feel her bouncing and playing around. Im usually in bed at this time, and the doctors say babies are most active while mommy sleeps- so i get to be up for her play date!

I have stretch marks on my chest. Gag..

Feb 17- well just an update. The baby is doing great. They moved me from 25 weeks to 26, which kinda sucked cuz i might have needed that week. (LOL). She weighed in at 1pnd 13oz on Tuesday, and they said that everything was in porportion. We saw nuckels and fingers and toes, so she is doing great thus far. Only thing they said was that my uterus had started to "sag", but im not sure if thats ok or not. Her fluids were great, as were her organs, but still, a saggy uterus? I'll have to ask around...

Pregnancy Survey
About You
Name?: Vanessa
Age?: 18
Height?: 5'9
Pre-pregnancy weight?: 130ish
About The Father
Name?: Derek
Age?: 20
Height?: 6'3
Are you still together?: On a good day
About Your Pregnancy
Is this your first pregnancy?:Well yes
When did you find out you were pregnant?: In septem
Was it planned?: Kinda, we'd been told we couldnt get pregnant, so we tried.
What was your first reaction?: I was happy, Derek said he was "screwed"
Who was with you when you found out?: Me
Who was the first person you told?: Derek, family, friends
How did your parents react?: Not that great
How far along are you?: currently going on 20 wks (as of 1/7/08)
What was your first symptom?: Heavy breasts
What is your due date?: May 28
Do you know the sex of the baby?: yes
If so, what is it?: -Girl
Have you picked out names?: yes.
If so, what are they?: Not telling
How much weight have you gained?: not much
Do you have stretch marks?: Hope not to
Have you felt the baby move?: She moves alot
Have you heard the heartbeat?: yes.
About the birth
Will you keep the baby?: Is there any other OPTION
Home or hospital birth?: HOSPITAL
Natural or medicated birth?: no IV meds, but i want to try an epidural.
Who will be in the delivery room with you?: my mom, derek.. maybe dad
Will you breastfeed?: YES!
Do you think you'll need a c-section?: i hope not.
Will you cry when you hold the baby for the first time?: most likely!
What's the first thing you might say to him/her?: I'll be crying to hard to speak
Would you let someone videotape the birth?: If they wanted to
Are you excited about the birth, or scared?: Scared The better you prepare your perineal tissues for the stretching of birth, the less they will tear, and the better they will heal. Like training muscles to perform at their best in an athletic event, conditioning the tissues around the vaginal opening with massage prepares the perineum to perform. Midwives report that women who practice perineal massage daily in the last six weeks of pregnancy experience less stinging sensation during crowning. Mothers with a more conditioned perineum are less likely to tear or get an episiotomy. An added value of perineal massage is that it familiarizes a woman with stretching sensations in this area so she will more easily relax these stretching muscles when stinging occurs just before the moment of birth. Try this technique: • Scrub your hands and trim your thumb nails. Sit in a warm comfortable area, spreading your legs apart in a semi-sitting birthing position. To become familiar with your perineal area use a mirror for the first few massages (a floor-to-ceiling mirror works best). Use massage oil, such as pure vegetable oil, or a water-soluble lubricant, such as K-Y Jelly (not a petroleum-based oil) on your fingers and thumbs and around your perineum. • Insert your thumbs as deeply as you can inside your vagina and spread your legs. Press the perineal area down toward the rectum and toward the sides. Gently continue to stretch this opening until you feel a slight burn or tingling. • Hold this stretch until the tingling subsides and gently massage the lower part of the vaginal canal back and forth. • While massaging, hook your thumbs onto the sides of the vaginal canal and gently pull these tissues forward, as your baby's head will do during delivery. • Finally, massage the tissues between the thumb and forefinger back and forth for about a minute. • Being too vigorous could cause bruising or swelling in these sensitive tissues. During the massage avoid pressure on the urethra as this could induce irritation or infection. • As you become adept with this procedure, add Kegel exercises to your routine to help you get the feel for your pelvic muscles. Do this ritual daily beginning around week 34 of pregnancy. • Many midwives and obstetricians believe that perineal massage is neither useful nor necessary as long as the mother's perineum is supported during crowning, her pushing is properly timed, and the baby's head and shoulders are eased out. Discuss the value of perineal massage with your birth attendant.