Ditto the BYC website. There are TONS of pictures in threads there with coop, run, chicken tractor, etc. ideas. We have a barn/shed in our backyard. We cleared out part of it for the coop. Dh and FIL built the run walls, made a little chicken door, and put in a window. Here are pictures from when it was started (and the chickens were small and when we had the two roosters): http://littlemamamidwife.blogspot.com/2011/05/monday-menagerie.html We have a frizzled cochin, a golden sebright, a lavender old english or lavender dutch, a black australop, and three reds. We just added the australop and two reds a couple months ago so they aren't laying yet. So far the red is the only one laying regular size brown eggs. The other three are laying but they are still small pullet eggs. For looks the frizzled is my favorite. :) She's just so cute and fluffy. For eggs, the red for sure. Which is why we went and bought two more. ;) The australop will also lay big brown eggs too. I'm also no help with climate. We started this adventure this Spring so we're coming up on our first winter with the girls.

Making a scarf for my dh. It's boring and I'm not happy with the yarn. I want it done already and I've only done like 6". :lol:

Yes, the uterus and other organs shift around after birth. Everything needs to get back into place after being all squished around. :) Could be worse...it's NO fun having your cervix and uterus come out of you. No fun at all. :grouphug: Rest Mama.

Congrats!!!

Dh and I were at a restaurant talking about the last one. We had our arms on the table and he said, "Is the table shaking??" :lol: I barely felt it but it was shaking. Everyone is freaking out...I think it's cool!!

Calcium/Magnesium helps some women.

:lurk5:

It forces the uterus to contract which in turn will help speed up the third stage and slow bleeding. You know, so they can go about their day seeing other patients and such. ;) HUGE ditto. It's not that simple for many women. It's really hard at most hospitals. They have protocol and rules they must follow as well. Sometimes they absolutely will not bend the rules. I'll also say that in many hospitals, if a woman comes in with such strong demands, they will go back to the nurses station and laugh. A woman with that kind of attitude isn't tolerated well by most. I had a nurse friend once post on FB, "...she came in with a birth plan and a doula so we were ready to prep the OR...." Yes, it's horrible but it is reality for many women. Yes, there are hospitals (and RNs and MDs and MWs) who are very wonderfully supportive. They are out there. But they can be hard to find. Fighting for a desired birth experience is NOT what a woman should be doing in labor.

She gave dosage info in that video I posted yesterday. :)

Slept right through it!! My 9yo said she woke up. She has a wall decoration that rattles if you shut a door too hard. So that shaking on the wall woke her up. I'm glad my client who is due next week didn't need me. Apparently I was sleeping VERY well that even an earthquake didn't wake me up. :lol:

:grouphug: Be careful with the cohosh. It really should be taken with the supervision of your midwife. I prefer the homeopathic version over the herbal tincture. If you don't trigger some cntx with it after a couple doses (5-10 drops of each sublingually or in water every hour for 4 hours), stop. This video has some cohosh instruction: EPO won't induce labor. It will just help ripen the cervix, so insert it vaginally. It may help this close to delivery but typically it's started around 36-37 weeks. Castor Oil can cause you to become deyhdrated. I've also seen it cause babies to have meconium. So use it very cautiously. Good 'ol fashioned patience will also work wonders. I know it's hard. Very very hard. But on the other hand, if you are trying to push your body into labor when it's not ready, you're going to tire and frustrate yourself.

Oh my, TJ is well worth the drive! If I had one that close (the closest is 4hrs away), I would go weekly. Aldi is nice too. The quality of food is a smidge better at TJ.

Get an account on Ravelry.com. You can search for free (and paid) patterns there. If you do an advanced search you can narrow it down to yarn type, ease of pattern, etc.

True. But it was annoying with people trying to cut in (aka practically step on my toes) to read those displays. ;)

Reading that makes me want to go back...tomorrow! :) We didn't have time. :( They kept telling us and others coming in that too. But I *wanted* to be in the line. lol I wanted to take my time going around the displays reading the information. :)

Usually "honey" or a shortened version of his name.

Very, very rarely. And only when I'm off-call. Usually I'll do a small cup of rum/coke. Or an occasional glass of wine.

What you describe doesn't sound alarming but worth of having it checked out.

Pm me your email. :)

LOVE this one!!! http://www.forgivingmartha.com/2011/06/lemon-blueberry-cuppies.html It's just butter, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest.

We were there a month ago! :) Our favorite was the Archives. We went on a Sunday and the lines were just fine. Busy but not horrible. We're bummed that we didn't have time for an art museum. On our way out of town we stopped at Arlington (minimal parking fee). Be sure to plan at the very least two hours. There is so much to see and also to plan time just to stop and take it all in. Very moving and humbling. We can't wait to go back!! There is so much more we want to do. :)

Have you given him an example of what you mean? Have little "practice" times with him. Make it fun. :) If he's not sure what you mean and can't make the connection between the whisper and his regular voice then he probably is frustrated. So practice with him so he'll get it and feel successful.

I can vouch for Metagenics as well. Not as readily available as the other products though.

As long as your food doesn't have calcium. Foods high in Vit C are what should be consumed along with iron to help the body absorb it. Floradix IS a liquid. I've never known it to be in pill form. Never heard of megafood brand. I found it online: Blood Builder It looks pretty good. Would be better on the body than the slow-release you are taking. The reason I give recommendations of Hemaplex and Floradix is the hema is cheaper. If you can swing the near $40 for the bottle of Floradix, go for it. What I've found with most clients who need and use Floradix is they don't mind the taste at all when they start. I always warn them that it's not pleasant and suggest mixing it in some OJ or grape juice (do NOT take it with milk, coffee, or soda). Then they'll come back with, "Oh, I think it tastes good!" Then a week or so later they tell me, "...then suddenly one day it just tasted like nails!!!!" That's one way I can tell her hmg has recovered before I do a hmg recheck. ;) re water intake - Put it in a cup or bottle that you can't see through. You'll drink more.

Your hemoglobin (hmg) isn't so low that I'd be worried about getting it up quickly for the birth. It's something to keep an eye on but not horribly low. Yes, right...it is. If your hmg is on the low side, if you were going to bleed more than normal, you're at more of a risk of doing so. Low hmg doesn't automatically = PPH. *shrug* It's just a tea with RRL + additional, beneficial herbs. Traditional Medicinals makes a good one. I looked at Yogi's (Mother-To-Be Tea) the other day and wasn't impressed with the ingredients. I like TM's because it has nettle and alfalfa. You can also buy some great loose herb blends. There is time to bring it up. Getting that iron-rich food in (and know that iron from plants is absorbed much less than "heme" iron found in meat) will help. A good quality supplement (Hemaplex or Floradix) will help. And if it drops more (I'd say if it hits 9), I'd also hit it with the supplement & liquid chlorophyll. I'm just taking the approach that it's just something to keep an eye on, it's not a huge concern at this point, it won't hurt to supplement, and just enjoy the last bit of your pregnancy. :)