Stephanie,
That was like reading a check list of all MY insecurities as a PG mom, and this is my 4th PG!

#1...check! For the past three days in a row, I've forgotten to take my PNV, and they are on my nightstand, right next to a full glass of water! Solution....I take two of the kids' Flintstones vitamins, yummy!

#2...check! My husband doesn't want to move Jacob, our 11-month old who weighs close to 30 pounds, upstairs into the bedroom with his brothers yet because he doesn't want me carrying him up and down the stairs. Last year, I fell down the stairs while I was PG with Jacob...I was carrying Gideon (our featherweight) at the time. Of course, I also fell UP the basement stairs when I was carrying 2 gallons of milk up from the refrigerator two weeks before that. Bottom line, I'm too independent and stubborn for my own good. Solution...I told Adam I'd wait until Jacob was walking on his own (he'll be there by Christmas, for sure) so he can crawl up the stairs by himself. As a mom, you're going to learn the value of asking for and accepting other people's help. Start practicing now! (Maybe if you cut yourself some slack at work, you'll have more energy at the end of the day. UGH! I sound like my mother!)

#3 (both of them...ha, ha, did you notice you used that number twice - my former OB called that "placenta brain")...check, check! I'm trying to make healthy food choices and eat sensible portion sizes, but right now I'm not that interested in food, so anything I eat tends to be very strong tasting, which means that it's heavy on the fat, salt, and sugar contents. And I'm too tired (and lazy) right now to go to the store during the week (I'd have to bring at least 2 kids with me, if I go on a day that Gabriel is in preschool). Solution...get DH to do it for you, or find out if your local grocery store has either delivery services OR call-ahead shopping (I don't think it's called that, but basically, you either call the store or place your grocery order online, and someone puts it all together for you and charges your credit card. All you have to do is pick it up!) Another great thing to do is check online to see if there's a Super Suppers or a Dinner A'fare or one of those make-your-meals-in-advance places near you. You spend about two hours at their store (DH can come too), making your meals for the week, and then you take them home and put them in the freezer/refrigerator. When you're ready to fix dinner, you just take out one of your meals and pop it in the oven. You make the meals in disposable pans, so there's no clean up, either! A lot of those places will make the meals for you, for an additional fee, and all you have to do is pick them up. Sometimes, they'll even deliver your order!

#4...well that one is outta my league cuz I can't ski/snowboard, or swim, so those would be really bad activities for me. However, I love to get outside this time of year and do yard work...the tough stuff, like tearing out shrubs and overgrowth, and if I weren't PG, I'd probably be asking my hubby to teach me to use the chain saw. Solution...I'm already planning all the yardwork and landscaping I want to do for NEXT fall!

You're going to spend the rest of your life coming up with ideas that CONVINCE you you're a terrible mother, and most of them are total B.S., so give yourself a break. And take a Tylenol PM so that you can get some sleep...you're gonna need it in another few months!

DITTO....I think we all have our things that make us "imperfect mothers". I am exceptionally bad at taking prenatals, but I think my body has picked up the slack...i crave cans of spinach, actually though, the more i think about it I'm not sure which I crave more, the spinach or the 20oz of vinagar I pour on it
Not that healthy of an eater either, but babies are definitely born under worse conditions and are fine so I try not to be too harsh on myself.

When I was PG this last time, I did EVERYTHING by the book. Prenatals religiously...never missed one. Ate my veggies and fruits (not all servings but got more in than I usually did). Did light to moderate exercise daily, got plenty of rest at night, didn't lift anything heavy, etc, etc, etc. I followed the book and look where that got me (
When I was PG with DS, I did not start out doing anything right. I was young and stupid. 2nd trimester I did what I was supposed to and then the 3rd trimester came and I hit the drive thru's ALOT!!!!!! I got no exercise, rarely took my PNV and I had a healthy bouncing baby boy!!!
Jennifer's right you will always have guilt and find ways that you are not a good mom. But in reality, you are the only one that sees those things and you really are a good mom. You are human, too!
I still do things that make me feel guilty. Not too long ago, I had a bad day at work and was really tired. My DH had to work in the evening and I really did not feel like helping my DS with his homework. So I put him in bed early (lied to him about what time it was). Woke him up early the next morning and helped him with his homework then. I felt terrible after I did it. But I felt it was the only way I was going to make it through that particular night.
I don't make a habit of this obviously, but sometimes you have to do these crazy/irresponsible things to just stay sane!!!!!

You are a great mom and will be a super mom when that little one gets. But I love this topic, we will probably all see we are not alone in this also!!!

I think we should also look at the lighter side. For a long time I've been mentally putting together a list of things I do that no sane woman would publicly admit, so I'm going to share some of them here. I call my list, "Confessions of Motherhood"

1. Children's potty seats are quite comfortable.
2. I prefer Gerber Graduate "Fruit Chews" and "Li'l Crunchies" to "real" gummy bears and cheese curls. (That statement is based solely on taste and has nothing to do with nutritional value. And I don't mean that I prefer them for the kids.)
3. Diaper rash ointment also works great on hemorrhoids.
4. My children don't know what a mop is/does, and it's a novelty if/when I vacuum.
5. Two Flintstones vitamins are just about the equivalent of a regular adult multi-vitamin, and they taste better!

This is far from my complete list, but it's all I could think of right now. You get the idea.

Love it Jennifer!!!! I'll have to work on mine and put it up later. (trying to stay focused working today, but not having much luck!)

Hey Kim,
I have a personal question...When you get AF back are you guys going to be able to TTC again or do you have to fix your back first? Just me being nosey and concerned

We are going to be able to TTC again. The cyst in my back disappeared!!!! Swear to God. It is crazy. I had 2 MRI's, an x-ray, an ultra-sound and it showed the cyst. The last MRI I had which was last week does not show it. I just went back to the Dr this past Tuesday and it he was shocked. When I was in the mountains this weekend, I had NO pain in my leg till Sunday night and even then it was bareable. Not like it has been. But the pain has gotten better over the past week. I still have some nerve damage in my leg but it is temporary. The Dr wants to do a couple of epidural injections into my spine (where the cyst was) so that the nerves will go back to where they are supposed to be. They are still compressed from where the cyst was sitting on them. Since my pain is a little better, I have decided to give it another couple of weeks and see if the nerves will go back to where they are supposed to be on their own. My DH came with me to this last appt, b/c this is the one where they were going to tell me if they were going to have to do surgery or not. I am so glad he did, b/c there is no way he would have believed me if I came home and said, "they cyst is gone and I don't have to have surgery."
The Dr has no medical explanation as to how all the other tests showed the cyst and now several weeks later it is completely gone. My mom says it is b/c she has had me on every prayer list in NC and it is a miracle. I'm just glad that the pain is better and I don't have to have surgery and I can jump back on the baby making train!!!!
I needed this break and thank God for it!!!!! I just hope it stays away. It is definitely NOT cancer and these type of cysts never are so that is a plus!!!!!

That is SUCH a relief to hear!!! And you're totally right, you definitely needed the break. You've been taking such a beating lately! Another ?, are you and DH dancing w/ or w/o protection? again i'm just nosey and curious I guess... if you are dancing w/o maybe AF won't even show her UGLY face and you'll ovulate (haha this reminds me. My term for this when explaining it to DH was "busting and egg") and then just get PG. I must say, it is very nice not having AF around, but it's sooo funny because I had just stocked up on pads and tampons right before we decided to TTC. They are still under the sink. I hate to throw them away because I buy the big packs but I know I'm not going to need them. Sorry this is a very random note...i'm very tired but trying to catch up on my FB and OC

first of all, Kim, I am soo glad to hear about your back clearing up, that is wonderful!!!
Secondly, I sooo fit into your list Stephanie. I forget my vitamins, probably 2-3 times a month, so not too bad, but I still feel really bad when I do. I eat pretty crappy, and don't do a single bit of exersizing.
I to am soo bummed about not being able to snowboard this season, or ride my dirt bike this season!!! I have snuck blue cheese a couple of times. But the one thing I feel the worst about, and I am embarressed to even say it is my total lack of a sex drive!! We had to take the 4 weeks off, no sex drs orderes, after my spotting scare, and since then... this is bad... we have only had sex 2 or 3 times!!! First it was the nausea and then it was just my total lack of a drive, and pure exaustion. I am out cold by 8-8:30 every night. I know it is horrible, and I think about it all the time how bad it is, but I still don't do anything about it. That's my biggest pregnancy confession.

Markelle- about your 4-5 month you will probably want sex all the time. You will make up for it. I know I started feeling a lot better by then with DS and all I wanted was sex. I have friends that say the same thing about their pregnancies. So you will probably get to make up for lost time!!!

Bethany- we are not using any protection right now. But we have only had sex twice since the miscarriage. DH is not happy about that. But the first time we did, it was very difficult for me. Just emotional for me and I almost felt guilty. I didn't want to let myself feel good and didn't feel like I deserved it since I lost the baby. I know it sound silly but just what was going thru my head at the time. He pulled out b/c it had only been a few days after I started bleeding. So we knew it was not a good idea to try. I was still told at that point to wait 3 mths since they did not know yet about the antibodies, etc, etc,etc. The next time we had sex was this past weekend while we were at the cabin in the mountains. Get ready for TMI...we had sex in the hot tub outside at night under the stars. It was great. We used no protection. But it is funny, b/c DH and I had been drinking a little bit and you know hot tubs are not good for the swimmers, etc, etc. He was like..."watch you get PG now b/c we just did everything we are not supposed to do. I have absolutely no idea if I have ovulated since the M/C and have no idea when AF will show up. But that would be pretty cool if we got PG off this last time BDing. I highly doubt it and I am not holding my breath. I guess time will tell.