I'm 3 to 5 weeks pregnant, and I already feel a lump low in my pelvis when I sit in certain positions. (It's not a lump I feel with my hand, but a sensation that I have a tennis ball in me.) Can this really be happening? With my first pregnancy I didn't even know I was pregnant yet; I don't...

Here's a hypothetical question. If a pregnant woman has the same diet as she did before she got pregnant, does the same amount of exercise, etc. will she gain weight anyway due to a slowed-down metabolism? Just pondering... -- Sara accompanied by TK, number two, due in April of 2006

I've been winded easily this past week or so, from just mild exertion. I'm only five (almost six) months along, and not all that large. I don't remember getting short of breath this early along with my first pregnancy. Is this normal, or am I a freak? -- Sara accompanied by TK, number two, due in...

What's the weirdest pregnancy fear you have? Mine -- and this isn't really a "fear," but just something I like to ponder -- is what I would do if little TK isn't a boy or a girl, but somewhere in between. ( http://www.isna.org/, for those who don't know what I'm...

When doing pelvic rocks on one's hands and knees, is it just a small motion? It feels odd to me if I move my hips more than a few inches, but some descriptions I've found on-line make it sound like my back should be going up in a big hump and then curving far down. (I've got a transverse baby here...

I've been having regular, uncomfortable BH contractions today. I've had them before in this pregnancy, but not so many and never with any pain. Reading about them on-line, many seemingly-rational websites say that since I'm not at 37 weeks yet I should call my doctor if I have more than four in an...

I've put on around 37 pounds (17 kilos, I believe), and I'm at 31 weeks. I feel enormous and my doctor is telling me to slow down. I'm tall and I've always been active, so I've never had to worry about weight before. With my previous pregnancy I put on around 35 - 40 pounds, which I lost right away...

OK, I know this is common, but I can't remember what causes it or how to fix it. I get a sharp, long-lasting pain, right around my bottom rib, slightly to the right. It's making me lose sleep, which I can't spare. Advice? -- Sara accompanied by TK, due in April Quoting, for users of Google...

Although it didn't happen last time, this pregnancy I'm having eye problems. Not pain or anything, but my glasses prescription is no longer quite right (and it was perfect last year). I know this is completely normal, but it's annoying as hell. Have any of you had this problem? How long after you...

For those of you who gave birth in hospitals: how long were you in the hospital for? I was there for two days with my first, because I had a fever (an infection from meconium). This time around I'd like to get out of there ASAP. If it's a normal, healthy birth, with no complications and no...

Hey Jenrose -- Thanks for the suggestion on which baby carrier to sew. It turned out surprisingly well, seeing as it was the first thing I'd made on a sewing machine in over two decades: http://tinyurl.com/dr98x -- Sara, not being very anon.

Hey -- I realized I never introduced myself. I used to post here under my real name (Sara) when I was pregnant with #1 in 2002, but want to be a little less Googleable this time around. I'm now pregnant with #2. No due date yet, but I'm guessing April. It's good to see so many familiar names here...

I'll be nine weeks along tomorrow, and I already feel huge. My clothes barely fit. At this rate I'll be in those hideous jeans with the pouch by October. Bah! -- my fried egg makes me sick first thing in the morning The Barnacle (October 2002) TK (due early April, 06)

Today I had a sonogram, as part of a screening for birth defects -- I'm at 11 weeks. Everything looked fine EXCEPT for, possibly, maybe, "some fluid around the heart." Of course the doctor doing the sonogram wouldn't tell me what that means -- it's something I have to ask my regular doctor about,...

What medicine is safe to take for a headache? I'm three months along. It's not a particularly awful headache, but I'm trying to get some work done and it's annoying. (It might be a touch of caffeine withdrawal -- my usual tea makes me nauseated -- or it might be a touch of sinus problems, or it...

I still have some morning sickness going on, at 13-ish weeks. I've discovered a cure that works well for me: white chocolate. Everything I've read suggests dry crackers, nothing too rich or sweet, etc... but what can I say, Lindt white chocolate does the trick for me. Just thought I'd share. (Not...

What do you do to relax? I've been very tense the past week (my son is having problems at preschool), and the ways I'd normally kick back aren't possible right now: having a stiff drink, taking a hot bath, running away to Mexico... I'm afraid that my tension is going to harm lil' TK, which just...

Do fetuses have growth spurts? The last few days my appetite has become enormous. I'm hungry ALL THE TIME. Unfortunately large meals make me nauseated... I'd say more but I have to go make more toast with peanut butter. -- Sara accompanied by TK, number two, due in April of 2006

Are any nighttime cough suppressants safe to take while pregnant? (I can check with a nurse by phone, but I've found it works best if I call with a specific brand rather than asking them for a list.) I've had a terrible cough the last few nights and fantasize about the bottle of codeine cough syrup...

My breech baby is now vertex -- hooray! After having to have a transverse baby turned last time, I'm relieved to hear this. I'm only at 36 weeks, though, and the kid is _very_ active. I see some good advice on Kathy's thread a few weeks ago about keeping the troublesome baby head-down. One thing I...