OB appt/30 weeks update

I've been MIA, I know. Just nothing much to say, I guess. And tired. WHere is Annie? Don't see her "Liven" posts. Is she doing ok? ANYWAY.. for those interested.... I will be 31 weeks on Sunday. You know what I keep thinking: Is that last time I was being put in the hospital at this point, and I was just 1 week away from having the boys. I was also soooo ready to be done (probalby cause I was measuring 42 weeks). But this time I still feel small and like I have a while to go. Anyway... so.... * I asked him about my insomnia. He said I could take a tylenol PM or benadryl. Taking anything that dulls my senses makes me nervous. I mean... if a baby in distress will wake you up -- then how can that happen easily if I am on somehing that makes me sleep? * Asked about my sciatic. He basically shrugged. (Sometimes I feel like only women should be OBs. Even if the answer is still "there is nothing to do about it" you just KNOW they are more in touch and sympathetic.) * My biggest problem is I am still VERY anemic. I'd been trying to increase my iron intake via pills and food, yet it is even LOWER this time then last time! I don't know what the numbers mean, but my count (hermaticrit??? (sp?) is 21. (Maybe Helen knows what these numbers mean.) Apparently that is VERY low. He says that is why I am soooo weak all the time, and is concerned about blood loss during the c-section. So... I am going to try even more to up my iron intake. * I asked about getting some extended monitoring, and talked about my continued concerns about d-cells. He seemed to understand why I was nervous, yet at the same time gave the same default answer ("Well, a singleton gestation is much less complicated than twins.") I just want to say "Yeah, yeah" but I have heard it all before. NO ONE thought baby Steven was in real danger. My family tells me the doctors and nurses were crying, cause everyone was just shocked. So... I am sorry Mr. Dr. ... but what is "normally" the case doesn't impress me. I've already had exceptions. So, he agreed to do a NST earlier than normal, and let it be done next week. But I am dissapointed it will only be an hour. I would really like to be on monitor for a couple hours. And, we are going to do a fetal-growth sono next Friday also. All in all, I am still concened baby isn't moving enough. I mean, today he hasn't been very active at all. So I don't what to think. They seem to think I am paranoid -- and maybe I am (ok, not "maybe") -- but last time I kept saying Steven wasn't moving much and they just kept saying "well he doens't have much room" and dismissed it. And I feel like they are kinda dismissing it this time just because they know I am paranoid. But... the thing is... just because I am paranoid, doesn't mean it might not be justified. So... that is where we are at. I need to pump myself full of iron at every opportunity. Try to sleep... and... I guess... relax????

I don't blame you a bit .. so just be pushy until they give in... and I found this for you.. top ten iron rich foods · clams, cooked, 3 oz (23.8 mg) (darn I prefer mine raw) · tofu, 1/2 cup firm (13.2 mg) (ICK!!!) · raisin bran, ready-to-eat, 3/4 cup (4.5 mg) (MMMMMM I like this one but dont eat to much or you'll be farting a lot, not that I would know... I'm just sayin) · sirloin steak, cooked, 3 oz (2.9 mg) MMMMMMM · shrimp, cooked, 3 oz (2.6 mg) (again I prefer mine raw haha) · black beans, boiled, 1/2 cup (1.8 mg) (Ick again) · chickpeas, canned, 1/2 cup (1.6 mg) (see above) · turkey breast, 3 oz (0.9 mg) MMMMMM · bread, whole wheat, 1 slice (0.9 mg) (did you know this?? I didnt) · chicken breast, skinless, 1/2 breast (0.9 mg) (I guess this can be raw cause they dont say to cook it ) Hope you feel better sweets... and that you get some piece of mind.. Debby

ok so I found this too, this is for blood donors but some very intersting info of what will help absorbtion and what hurts it at the bottom.. Iron-rich Foods for Blood Donors In order to help maintain adequate blood iron levels throughout autologous and directed donations, donors should eat foods high in iron. The following list gives the iron content of selected foods. Food Serving Size Iron Content (mg) Cereal, ready to eat, fortified 1 cup 1 to 16 Clams, canned 1/4 cup 11.2 Beef liver, fried 3 oz 5.3 Braunschweiger 2 oz 5.3 Molasses, blackstrap 1 tablespoon 5.0 Baked Beans 1 cup 5.0 Oysters, cooked 1 oz 3.8 Baked potato, with skin 1 2.8 Soup, lentil and ham 1 cup 2.6 Burrito, bean 1 2.5 Soup, beef noodle 1 cup 2.4 Rice, white, enriched 1 cup 2.3 Poptart, fortified 1 2.2 Ground beef, lean 3 oz 1.8 Apricots, dried halves 10 1.7 Spinach, frozen 1/2 cup (fresh=1 cup) 1.5 Bread, whole wheat 1 slice 1.2 Broccoli, fresh cooked 1/2 cup 0.7 Egg 1 0.7 Also: Vitamin C enhances iron absorption from plant sources -- drink orange juice with iron-rich foods. Tea with meals can act as an iron blocker. Other iron blockers include carbonates, oxalates, and phosphates. Foods that contain these iron blockers include, cranberries, rhubarb, spinach, and soda

Maria, Thanks for the update and keep the posts coming. Gladys