Brontosaurus Lays an Egg

[Eaquae Legit]

I am honestly a bit relieved to hear all of this from you. I felt like such a grinch the whole pregnancy! It's okay to be grumpy as hell about it all, at least in my opinion!

Also, for more baby movements!

[Dr. Mobius]

I spent some time last night trying to write you some bad, personalized lyrics to BEP's My Humps

You too, eh? I have no intention to rewrite the whole song, but for the past couple months or so whenever I read this thread or talk to Kirsten that song starts playing in my head with the line replaced by "my lovely baby bump".

[VelvetElvis]

As always when I open this thread, I think "Baaaaaaaabieeeeeeeeeeessss!"

[Eaquae Legit]

You guys, you guys! Nom is smiling now!

[starlooker]

Awwww! What a big girl!

And, frankly, I am grateful you went through all this first, Ali, so that I am not totally caught off guard.

Also, now I have BEP in my head. But that's so not a bad thing!

[VelvetElvis]

Damn you, VA Operations Center, and all of the websites you block!

[Dr. Mobius]

Damn you, VA Operations Center, and all of the websites you block!

That goes for you too, Sabic!

[starlooker]

Had the one-hour glucose test today. It wasn't that bad. Got there, drank some stuff that tasted like flat orange pop, but sweeter. Bleagh. The lab lady was really nice and SO talkative, and so that distracted me while I drank, which was good. Chugged the last third of it just to get it over. I had my doctor appointment right away afterwards, so I didn't have to do a lot of waiting around in the lobby for her to take my blood. Also, the nurse strongly approved of my having cottage cheese and almonds for breakfast. I was kind of shaky when we left - sugar crash - but some scrambled eggs, toast, and a nap set it right.

Doctor's appointment was fine. My urine looks good. My uterus is measuring on target, exactly. Little Bit's heartbeat is strong and where it should be. They're happy he's kicking and not surprised that I only feel him a few times a day. My blood pressure is exactly perfect textbook normal. I've gained too much weight, but not scary too-much. For my carpal tunnel, she recommends wrist braces, ice, and childbirth. She sympathizes with my acne and knee pain. I think I am boring my doctor to bits, really. That's probably good. Although, no idea what we're gonna talk about at our two-week appointments if things keep sailing along like this.

NOT that I'm complaining. Lord, really, please let my worst pregnancy problem be that I don't have anything interesting to tell my doctor.

[starlooker]

So, I'm starting to read giving birth books seriously. I started going through a book on Bradley birth one night in Barnes and Nobel, and I'm starting at home with the book Natural Hospital Birth by Cynthia Gabriel. So far, so good. I'd recommend it based on the first three chapters. Will let you know if the recommendation stands later.

It is making me rethink my kind of namby-pamby stance on what I want to have happen. Basically, I keep hearing from people about how I have to be flexible, yadda yadda, because I don't want to be disappointed and birth is unpredictable. And, if you'd asked me an hour ago, I'd have probably said something to the effect of how I was struggling with trying to be committed to natural birth because it's what I want, while not being so committed that I end up being disappointed and upset at the end if we end up with a healthy mom and healthy baby. And I guess I still am wrestling with it, to a degree. But the author takes on those two pieces of argument very well -- the "don't be disappointed" and "birth is unpredictable" -- points and, in short, says that you might as well commit and make your desires known, because there's a chance you'll be disappointed anyways, if medical intervention needs to happen, but at least there won't be as much self-recrimination if you prepared and tried for what you wanted instead of feeling pushed into doing things. Which I hadn't really thought about. So, yeah, still struggling with it, but less afraid to think hard about what I'd like.

However, I would really appreciate it if I could get through more than a few pages without tearing up. Happened with the Bradley book in Barnes and Noble, too. Not sobbing or copious crying, just very quietly tearful. I'm not crying from fear or anxiety, and I'm also not crying from happiness or joy. I don't know what these tears are. But whenever I really start to think about the birth process, I get misty for some reason that I can't quite name. Damn, it's happening again. Maybe I'll figure out what it is as I go on.

[Dr. Mobius]

Doctor's appointment was fine. My urine looks good. My uterus is measuring on target, exactly. Little Bit's heartbeat is strong and where it should be. They're happy he's kicking and not surprised that I only feel him a few times a day. My blood pressure is exactly perfect textbook normal. I've gained too much weight, but not scary too-much. For my carpal tunnel, she recommends wrist braces, ice, and childbirth. She sympathizes with my acne and knee pain. I think I am boring my doctor to bits, really. That's probably good. Although, no idea what we're gonna talk about at our two-week appointments if things keep sailing along like this.

[Luet]

I keep forgetting to ask...Kirsten, have you gotten to see the documentary The Business of Being Born yet? There is also a book by the two that did the movie (Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein) called Your Best Birth that I have heard good things about but haven't read. But since you are in to reading birth books now, I thought you might want to check that one out.

[starlooker]

Thanks, Nom. I'm kind of debating looking at the movie again. I saw part of it a few weeks ago and then had to turn it off. Raised my anxiety level too high. It WAS thought-provoking, though, and I think is part of why I'm taking the "research options for giving birth" so seriously.

The reviews I looked at on the book on Amazon kind of make me nervous to touch the book until after the baby is born.

(Okay, Nom, the rest of this is sort of my thoughts on everything I've looked at so far, so please don't take this personally as a rejection of your recommendations. Just kind of what I'm going through in reading things and learning things and trying to choose what I learn.)

I DO believe births are too medicalized, and I DO understand that the rates of c-sections in this country are abhorrent. Also, I know scary-well the business side of the mental health field, and I have a feeling those insights can probably be extrapolated to the physical health field. That said, I know that there are wonderful, professional people who honestly want the best for their clients within the mental health field -- and this is the majority -- and I do imagine the same is true physical-health wise.

So, long story short, I want to have my baby with a doctor attending and with the option of a c-section seconds away if I do need it. I'm probably going to go to a birth center that's attached to a hospital if my pregnancy remains low-risk. I absolutely do not consider home birth to be an option, at least, not this time around. Feeling safe is a big part of the experience, and I think I would panic if I were at home and didn't have the knowledge that there were all sorts of people around whose job it was to make sure we're going to get through this.

Good news is that I have two friends who gave birth at the center -- one naturally and one with epidural/c-section -- and both had excellent, excellent things to say about the experience. Also, their policy is to give immediate skin-to-skin contact and they at least SAY they're supportive of natural birth. Although, my friend who did so WAS treated like something of an anomaly.

Anyhow, my desire to have a birth with the security of medical professionals around means I'm gonna have to find a way to work with the system and all its scary medicalness to still get a natural birth experience. And, therefore, I'm trying to find as many ways as possible to make that happen. I need to know what the common practices are, how to request and be supported in asking for something different -- and I also need to not feel like the professionals are my enemies, when they want me and my baby to be healthy and so do I. So, I'm kind of being careful to just dip my toes into the, "Look What Modern Medicine Has Done" water. It's a weird balance. It's what I'm liking about Natural Hospital Birth. It's firmly pro-natural birth -- but not anti-medical establishment, even though it's very honest about the difficulties with having both.

[Luet]

So, long story short, I want to have my baby with a doctor attending and with the option of a c-section seconds away if I do need it. I'm probably going to go to a birth center that's attached to a hospital if my pregnancy remains low-risk. I absolutely do not consider home birth to be an option, at least, not this time around. Feeling safe is a big part of the experience, and I think I would panic if I were at home and didn't have the knowledge that there were all sorts of people around whose job it was to make sure we're going to get through this.

Honestly, I think I would feel this same way were I to ever give birth. I mostly liked that movie because it was informative, while not being clinical. I am a huge fan of doctors and medications. Seriously, I take tons of drugs! But I'm also a terrible patient, in that I don't just do what I'm told without question. I want to know everything about what is being done to me and why. I am a big advocate of being informed. And I never doubted that you would be and that you would make the best decision for you and little bit. *hugs*

[starlooker]

Big yes to being informed

~~

So, one of the exercises I'm reading about is to write or talk out your dream birth scenario. I mean, REALLY dream birth scenario. If there were no risks of complications and you knew you'd have enough strength to manage, where would you give birth, who would you want to be there, would that change as labor progresses, etc.

I was talking about it with Donny last night, which led to the following exchange:

Me: I'm supposed to be imagining where I'd like to give birth if I could do it anywhere in the world, but I don't know where I'd be.
Him: Well, you'd be in water, right? Maybe on a beach. And Jimmy Buffett would be there and singing "Cheeseburger in Paradise!"
Me: I don't want to give birth in the ocean!
Him: Well, okay, I know, but one of those big tub things, right? So, you'd have the water and Jimmy Buffett.
Me (actually trying not to hurt his feelings): Well, um, the thing is, I also think I'd want it to be really quiet so I could focus, so I don't know about Jimmy Buffett, hon.
Him: Well, of course, baby, Jimmy Buffett would be playing "Cheeseburger in Paradise" unplugged.

And this is where I dissolved into giggles.

Him (continuing): And it doesn't have to be Jimmy Buffett! Oooh! We could have Stevie Nicks come sing to us! And maybe Kenny Rogers could stop by!
~~~

So, I'm not making a lot of headway on imagining my ideal birth, but I'm learning a LOT about his.

[Luet]

Wow, that is hysterical. My husband would probably want The Cure singing at mine.

[Eaquae Legit]

I'm pretty sure I laboured to my Heather Dale playlist. It got turned on and then switching up the music was not a priority, so I think it cycled 3 or 4 times.

[VelvetElvis]

One of my highschool best friends gave birth in one of those tub things and there were some pictures of the labor on FB (no nudity) and they are f****** terrifiying.

[powerfulcheese04]

Oh man, I so don't want anything to do with a nautral birth. Better living through chemistry (and epidurals and wonderful wonderful pain control.)

[starlooker]

I am watching Gone With the Wind.

I am also busy thanking God that I am not Melanie Wilkes, trying to give birth while Atlanta is being shelled and then getting driven in a horse and buggy over miles and miles of dirt road.

[thoughtreader]

Oh man, I so don't want anything to do with a nautral birth. Better living through chemistry (and epidurals and wonderful wonderful pain control.)

I'm the exact opposite, I want to have a completely natural birth. My mother gave birth to me and my 3 siblings naturally and each year on our birthday she tells us the story of our births and they are all positive and wonderful stories (sometimes terribly long winded, but thats just my mom being mom). And I want to have the same experiences for myself. I'm not completely ruling out medications or c-sections if they become medically necessary, but I also believe medical interventions are sometimes pushed on mothers and not with there best interest in mind.

So I know things may change someday when I actually get pregnant and give birth but for as long as I can remember I have always wanted a natural birth.

Like Kirsten I would like to give birth in a hospital, preferably at a birthing center next to a hospital. I'm not against home births but I know my husband would never be comfortable with it and if he isn't happy or comfortable I won't be. We have talked about it we agree that a natural birth at a medical center of some sort is what we want. He will do everything he can to support me in a natural birth by advocating for me, listening to me, and making sure the Drs listen to both of us.

[Petra456]

I am watching Gone With the Wind.

I am also busy thanking God that I am not Melanie Wilkes, trying to give birth while Atlanta is being shelled and then getting driven in a horse and buggy over miles and miles of dirt road.

One of my all time favorite movies! I've seen it countless times : )

[VelvetElvis]

Yes! So glad that I'm not Melanie Wilkes.

[starlooker]

He finally kicked Donny!

Me: Did you feel that?
Him: I felt you burp.
Me: I didn't burp!
Him: Well, then I felt you hiccup?
Me: I didn't hiccup.
Him: Oh. Then, yeah, I guess I felt him!
Me: NOW do you get why I was never sure if it was him at the beginning of all this?

[Eaquae Legit]

Huh, you don't need the whole url. Live and learn.

So much has happened in the past two months, I have no idea how to recount it all. Naomi is enormous now. And yet, when people comment on her in the street or wherever, they always call her so tiny! I know she still is, but she seems so, so big now to me. Her little fingers have chubbed out, and she's on her way to outgrowing the "newborn" sized clothes. Things I would have sworn she'd take months to fit into are rapidly becoming too small for her. She still has beautiful big blue eyes, and oddly enough, her uncle's eyebrows.

I still get a decent amount of sleep, for a new mom. She usually sleeps for 4ish hours overnight, and on a good night, 5 or even 6 hours. Once this week she was out for almost 7 hours, and I woke up and had some breakfast "while I could", and then got another 20 minutes' sleep before she started squeaking. Today has been all smiles from her!

[VelvetElvis]

I love her. It's official.

[starlooker]

Baby smiles! Beautiful!

She's so adorable. So's mommy's voice

~~~

27 Weeks! Not much to report. Getting bigger and bigger. Waiting patiently for stretch marks to appear. Reading SO MUCH about birth stuff right now. Atticus's movements are still not terribly frequent, but definitely stronger. Today I felt like inside of me was an enthusiastic little drummer boy, beating and kicking on everything in reach. Only lasted a little while, but rather funny.

Overemotional? Maybe a little. I get teary nearly every day right now. Not hysterical crying like happens when I get down about our job/financial situation, but just teary. Reading about birth or hearing something on the news or whatever. Especially when I read things about having your partner helping you in labor. Just anticipation, I think. Of this thing we're going to be going through together.

[powerfulcheese04]

I love the little creature warming baby hats that are out right now. The little owls, penguins, racoons, bears, etc... I want one so bad! I hope they're still out next year! Buying anything baby stuff now would seem to much likea jinx.

[VelvetElvis]

What if one of us buys one and keeps for maybe-kimmie-maybe-not? Would that be a jinx?

[powerfulcheese04]

Hmmm... I will have to consult the jinx gods, but I think maybe it isn't?

[LilBee91]

Having others buy things that would be a jinx if bought by oneself is not a jinx if and only if the purchases are not given until the jinx-able period has passed.

[Jayelle]

Better living through chemistry (and epidurals and wonderful wonderful pain control.)

Eek. Only for certain definitions of better!!

[starlooker]

Well, drat. I'm playing phone tag with a nurse. The only thing she could have to be calling me about is the blood glucose screen. They informed me that they would NOT call me unless there's something to call about.

f****** f***. I'm going to have to do the fast and the three hour test, aren't I? Not to mention the possibility that it's going to turn up positive.

I KNEW things were going too smoothly.

[Luet]

*hugs*
I hate waiting to find out something like that. Let us know as you know!

[starlooker]

ETA: Right after I posted that, I got a call from the nurse.

1. I'm anemic and need to start taking an iron supplement twice a day.

2. My blood glucose was too high -- 174 instead of 130 -- and I do indeed have to do the three-hour test on Monday. Goody.

ARGH.

Today is making me quite displeased. This is sort of icing on the cake.

[Eaquae Legit]

*wryly high-fives her pregnancy buddy*
Anemia for the win!