The Mr. and I head down to the mall to get my ring removed after my hands swelled to corpse-like proportions.
Perhaps my wussy attitude toward ring removal does not bode well for childbirth. I always thought I had a high pain tolerance, but this is not a rugged display.
Preggisode Week 35: Lordy, These Rings from Teresa Strasser on Vimeo.
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Tags: Pregnancy, Regret, weight gain
Very good article. I’ve found your blog via Bing and I’m really happy about the information you provide in your posts. Btw your sites layout is really messed up on the Chrome browser. Would be really great if you could fix that. Anyhow keep up the good work!
Although I’m not pregnant my wedding ring won’t come off. I tried everything. Now I suppose I have no choice than to have it cut off. I wanted to know if you live in Las Vegas and was that the Galleria Mall? If it was can you tell me what store you went to? I’d appreciate it. Thank you.
No, it was at the Glendale Galleria here in Los Angeles – Ben Bridge Jewelry, I believe. They were incredibly nice there, as you can see in the video.
Ouch! My finger is throbbing just watching this video. Glad Victor was able to pry it off you with the wonderful Finger Cutting Tool. It never occurred to me to take my ring off during pregnancy. I was lucky and avoided major hand swelling the first time, but I’ll be sure to be more aware of it the second time around! Thanks for the advice
Oh and you look great! Enjoy these last few babyless weeks. These are the last days you’ll have the little one completely to yourself…I remember being a bit weepy about the thought of sharing my boy after he was born and loosing that exclusive connection with him. Dang pregnancy hormones. 
That is a very interesting video. Thank you for sharing the odd moments of pregnancy.
Seriously Teresa…how could you not know to take your rings off months ago? I am 8 months pregnant and took mine off at 2 months knowing swelling was a given. Do you seriously give a crap if people think you are unmarried??? Good lord, you have better things to be worrying about!! Now you have to have your rings reset…ugh, I just cannot believe this.
Glad you got relief! It reminded me of then I cut my cast off with a Dremel saw. Which by the way, the Dremel might be handy for you to have – in case you wait too long before you remove your shoes.
Lovin’ the you + Adam almost like podcasts. It’s like the good old days of KLSX.
It’s pretty bad when even I have no idea what I typed. WHEN I cut my cast off… you + Adam almost LIVE…
You look amazing
Enjoy your time before the baby comes and the sleep goes!
(I am a mom of 2 daughters and happy grandma of 2 grand-daughters)
T,
I was listening to the podcast today and you were asking Adam about C-Section stuff. I had one and I can let you know a couple things:
1)You don’t really hear anything, like ripping or tearing.
2) Depending on the type of meds they give you, you might feel tugging etc. I had a spinal block and did not feel anything at all. If you just have an epidural, you might feel some pulling/tugging etc.
3) Its over really fast and but you might be in recovery for a few hours, again depending on the type of meds they give you.
4) That “feeling of amazement” that people always talk about etc likely never happens. I didn’t have that moment until after I was home with my son. My therapist said that “Yes you will step in front of a bus to save your newborn but you will probably not LOVE that baby like the movies make you feel like you will” This doesn’t make you a bad mom.
Good luck with everything!
T,
Your video saved me from the same fate, thank you! I’m 37 weeks and woke up this morning with one very tight wedding band and one very puffy finger. I was able to wrangle the ring off, but decided it was best not to try to put it on again. Now it is safely hanging on a chain around my neck where it will stay until after our little bambina makes her appearance.
Good to hear. This makes it all worth it. If I could save one swollen, pregnant finger from the same fate as mine, I will be the Mother Teresa of bloating.
Also, I like the ring on a chain look. Congrats on the bambina to come.
T
Thank you for publishing this video. I have learned so much throughout your pregnancy.
Sorry so late on the information but if you really want to sleep on your stomach visit a company called Gentle Air. They have maternity air mattresses that allows a pregnant women to get that sleep you have been missing.
HI Teresa,
I was feeling bad because it’s been a few weeks and then I saw your video. I love it. How awful your finger looks. I bet it hurt to be that swollen. At least it’s swollen for a great reason…I’m fat for no good reason at all (besides too many cookies).
I adore you and wish you and Adam and the rest of the crew would get on another radio station. My love to your dad also, I always think of him when I see a Mini Cooper!
TERESA, I LOVE YOU.
“It’s definitely gonna be easier for me to start dating”
“Define a little bit?”…… cut to ring sawed open.
My favorite:
Teresa: “Is that Latin?”
Victor: “No.”
I also like the food court noise and music in the background. Makes me want to hit The Steak Escape.
teresa,
i always enjoy adam’s podcast, and more so when you and bryan are on it. in fact, the first episode that i heard of the podcast was the one with you and bryan where bryan announced he had a brain tumor. since then i have been totally hooked.
i have one piece of advice for you for when you give birth. don’t do it at a university based hospital, because you will have extra people in your room, and you really don’t want even more than one extra person than needed around you during the process.
also, i can tell you a great story about how, as a 3rd year medical student in Atlanta, i almost vomited INTO a vagina on my first day delivering in OB/GYN…and you definitely don’t want that to happen.
best of luck! let me know if you want to hear the whole story, it’s a really good one.
Nice! I’ve removed a few rings from customers’ swollen fingers over the years, both with a jeweler’s saw and a ring cutter as seen in the video. But none of the fingers looked that bad. Good grief. Well, live and learn. You’re getting the rings soldered back into shape, right? Shouldn’t cost much. A simple operation.
Keep up the good work. Love you on Adam’s podcasts.
P.S. “Not Married With Children” was released the other day
Hey T, have loved you for years with Adam and Brian!!! Just found your website. I wanted to give you a little birthing advice…Make all the nice little plans you want beforehand but realize when you get there, it is out of your hands! Leave it to the professionals. Get your epidural strapped on as soon as possible! They can increase or decrease the dose but you will be happy it is there!!! Your baby will never thank you for suffering through childbirth without meds. As my mom told me, there is no one waiting to give you a medal at the end of a 20 hour labor for doing it natural, just a lot of others thinking to ourselves “how stupid!”. My husband was on alert, if they were not giving me enough pain killers he was ordered to go out to the nurses station and do the Shirley McClaine scene from Terms of Endearment when Debra Winger is dying and she demands more meds. He actually had to do it during our 2nd birth.
In short, don’t sweat it. Accept all possible pain meds, you will never know if you shit the table, if they cut you, you won’t feel it and you won’t care anyway, you will just want the beast out at that point! It is a wild ride and you will live through it and once you see your baby the ride you just got off of melts away!! I had 20 hours of labor the 1st time about half of that was pretty painful, and I knew by the very next day that I wanted to do it again! Pregnancy sucks ass but being a mother is the best thing in the world!!!!
As per your suggestion, I will have the Mr. on standby to pull a Shirley Maclaine in the hospital should things go south and I need more pain meds. I would say we should rent that movie to give him an idea just exactly what this means, but no one 8 ms pregnant could watch “Terms” without a wholesale emotional unraveling.
That crunching sound as he cut through the ring was wicked.
This should teach you to get married (or pregnant).
Now you have to destroy the ring in the fiery depths of Mordor. I think the fiery depths of Mordor is next to the sunglasses hut? Also, lookin good dude.
that was awesome, i felt relieved just watching the video
t
i’m a huge fan but ya have to trim those nails. they’re so out of style on someone so in style.
plus a little tip. long nails on plump hands kind of make them look plumper. they mess up the expected symmetry a man likes to see.
also, nails of that length a dead giveaway of being “old school”. kind of like acrylic french manicures. only whores and poor people have them.
we all now you haven’t cracked 30 yet
but you’ve got the nails of someone born in the late 60’s.
What the hell is wrong with you?! You watched that hole thing and could only comment on her nails. Who the cares what her nails look like. She looks amazing and you are a tool.
T, swollen finger or not, you’re so beautiful and sexy and you are gonna have one adorable baby. Can’t wait until your due date to hear more.
Re: the ring video…
The funniest part was where you suggested – or implied that the 2nd band could stay on. You are the queen of digit denial.
Porn Question…
I finally went into an XXX rated video store today. BECAUSE OF YOU.
My ex-co-worker and I went in after lunch and he purchased NOT THE BRADY BUNCH. at my recomendation. I have not seen it, only heard about it from you. It cost 49.95! Do you have a Netflix type delivery company to recomend? Do you and Batman go to a video store? Admittedly, the store was not in a great part of town, but I don’t feel the need to go find a high end (tee hee hee) xxx store.
I would rather get them in the mail.
Thanks for fightin’ the good fight!
I hope your co-worker enjoys “Not the Brady Bunch.” I also recommend “This Ain’t Happy Days” – I think you can buy it online for under $25 (which I know from trying to purchase it for Adam’s interns, cause I like to reward hard work with hardcore). I know, classy.
Yes – we have some kind of Netflix for porn, the name of which escapes me, but it’s a good investment. Especially if you are trying to get pregnant. And don’t fancy hanging out at video stores.
Man, I sound smarmy. I really am just a wholesome girl trying to enjoy the pregnancy hormones while I can.
45 AND CHILDLESS. 23 yrs of marriage and still trying!
It’s OK though, it is by choice. good luck w/ your bambino.
My therapist wanted me to know I was good enough…my (kidless) sis ter said “I feel like I owe her 100 bucks” after reading your “having a girl blog.
My husband’s name is Dick – it has given him an awesome disposition!
I asked his mother once, “why didn’t you call him ‘Rich’ or Rick’
and she said “I don’t know he just looked like a Dick”
I mostly call him ‘Honey’
Holy Sh&t Teresa! That looked so painful. I can only imagine how I would be reacting.
Teresa, you did that with such grace .. you had me laughing all the while being entertained for such an unfunny experience. You’re going to be such a good mom.
Teresa – so sorry about your ring but glad you got relief! My husband is a fire fighter and he has cut rings off of many people who are pregnant or diabetic when their hands get too swollen. If anyone in the same situation is up at night with a strangled finger, you can always pop in your local fire station and they’ll do it for you. I always feel terrible for the older couples who’ve been married 50 years and have to have a ring cut off because of a broken or swollen finger. You look great BTW and LOVE hearing you on the podcasts! Good luck in the coming weeks!
Karen -
This is great information; wish I had known I could go to a fire station in the middle of the night, instead of messing around with Windex and dish soap to no avail. Just another reason to love firemen. Thanks for passing this along.
i love reading your blog teresa…you are too funny. plus i felt your pain getting your rings cut off…hopefully your old rings can be fixed or get hubby to purchase new ones…anyways congrats on the upcoming bundle of joy
“It’s definitely gonna make it easier for me to start dating.”
LOL
You look gorgeous Teresa!
You need a nice hand massage now! And ice cream.
You should have tried the string trick!! It worked for me before I got my ring tattooed. Here is a good guide for it, in case some how this happens to you again, or if someone else needs it.
http://www.ncemi.org/cse/cse1005.htm
You’re looking so good!!
your lucky, in the old days they just chopped off the arm when this happend.
Dave out!!!
No offense (you can say anything as long as you preface with no offense), but those are some huge fingers! Nevertheless, you’re looking quite lovely these days.
Lol. Poor Teresa. You made me feel bad for you. Good Job.
Holy. Crap. I think I’m going to have a hysterectomy, just to be safe.
You poor thing!! It made me clostrophobic just looking at it.
Your finger looks absolutely tortured. I felt so relieved for you when I saw them finally come off! I never knew it could get that bad.
OW! Looked painful. They should’ve given you some kind of anesthetic before they started cutting.
These kinds of scenarios make me terrified of ever having kids. And these kinds of horror stories are always brought up in tandem with the inevitable “so when are you having a baby?” question. “For nine months I peed every time I sneezed. So when are you having a baby?” “I was in so much pain that I dislocated my husband’s arm. Have you thought of having a baby?”
Teresa! No one told you that when you get preggers, you go to Macy*s and buy a 7 carat fake engagement ring, 3 sizes big and wear from pregnancy thru losing baby weight?!! I thought it was well-known! You silly!
Don’t lose weight after the baby. It’s cute when the baby and mom both have baby fat.
I think you are definitely a trooper! I don’t want to scare you but I had my son @ 35 weeks. Yes, he was 5 weeks premature! My fingers had swollen so badly I could not get my wedding ring off by myself! 2 nurses in the neonatal unit had to help me get the ring off! Love reading all your blogs! You will be a wonderful mother Reresa!
Thanks for all the pregger tips…I would of been crying and wanting them to put my finger under for that whole scenerio…
OMG. I would have totally cried if I had to cut my wedding rings off.
(
Oh your poor little hands! Sweet relief!!!
Hang in there Teresa, just think you get good drugs in a month!!!! LOL, sorry, I had to try and say something positive!
This and “Crumb” are my two favorite documentaries ever.
I did notice you went to the Glendale Galleria. I worked at the Broadway in high school. Anyways, I hope they can fix it later on.
Such a trooper you are!
That’s not so bad! I think you were very brave. I would have been bawling.
Just wait and see how big your ankles get after the baby is born! I was rubbing my wifes feet a few times a day.