I just had the most amazing experience. I know I talk a lot about Cooper and he may have an unfair favorite pet reputation - but that is only because our sweet kitty is so shy, and moments with her are sweet and often still, which is how she likes it.
Ophelia was slightly traumatized by the move but has settled into our new house nicely. She sleeps beside me every night and is clearly aware that I am expecting. However, I has no idea how interested she was until a few minutes ago.
I took a shower, wrapped myself up in a towel and then laid down on the bed for a few moments off of my feet, a slight space existing between by belly and the body pillow. Ophelia crept into the slight space, and ever so gently (without any nails) started slightly feeling around on my belly. She used her paws to apply the slightest pressure until she found a spot where Thriller was moving and then followed the movement around with her paws (still without any nails) all over my belly. After the little adventure was done, she curled up headfirst to have her head right next to where the last movement was a purred at my belly.
WOW. Animals never cease to amaze me. Looks like our little kitty is getting excited too!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Bradley Class 6
Transition > Pushing > Baby in Arms
In this weeks class we discussed transition and the second stage of labor. I must admit that I was surprised to learn about the drastic changes in body temperature and mood that occur in the transition phase. Also, transition is the phase where women most often give into pain medication - which is arguably too bad because you are so close! I haven't been there so I don't know ... but we have some pointers to get me through without caving into the epidural.
The inevitable POOP: I was already prepared for the reality of pooping when pushing from reading Ina May's Guide to Childbirth. Luckily Morgan read this too and we had already joked about it. Also, luckily, we do not have a relationship where discussion or the reality of such things is considered taboo. In class this week the reality of the POOP was discussed - and it seems most of my classmates are also going to be able to face this fact. I have had friends who were so mortified by the POOP that they got down to the wire and wouldn't push due to the fear of their husbands knowing or seeing such a terrible thing.
Let me be clear, I'm not excited about this being a part of the birth process, but it is what it is. And it gets taken care of immediately by the staff who are caring for you. And hopefully Morgan will never know - and if he does I know he'll love me anyway and never bring it up. So if you are reading this and POOP is taboo in your life, I recommend facing it now! Besides, POOP will be even more of a reality in our lives after Thriller comes I am sure.
RING OF FIRE: Apparently right before the baby comes you become so hot that you literally will feel like you need to back up off of a heat source at the birth canal. This is often referred to as the "Ring of Fire" and the best way to get through it is to just remember - you're moments away from having your baby in your arms!
I like that part the most. Can't go through the pain, can't go around it - but just go through the ring of fire and meet your child. I think I can handle that!
In this weeks class we discussed transition and the second stage of labor. I must admit that I was surprised to learn about the drastic changes in body temperature and mood that occur in the transition phase. Also, transition is the phase where women most often give into pain medication - which is arguably too bad because you are so close! I haven't been there so I don't know ... but we have some pointers to get me through without caving into the epidural.
- Ask for an IV of fluid (assuming you are not already on one), take the whole IV and get checked BEFORE asking for the epidural. The IV can speed things along significantly and get you through the scary phase without caving into the drugs.
- Relaxation techniques: Needs will have totally changed from the first phase of labor, coach will need to remember that he needs to adjust.
- Remember: More often than not, transition only lasts 30 minutes - Anyone can do 30 minutes!
The inevitable POOP: I was already prepared for the reality of pooping when pushing from reading Ina May's Guide to Childbirth. Luckily Morgan read this too and we had already joked about it. Also, luckily, we do not have a relationship where discussion or the reality of such things is considered taboo. In class this week the reality of the POOP was discussed - and it seems most of my classmates are also going to be able to face this fact. I have had friends who were so mortified by the POOP that they got down to the wire and wouldn't push due to the fear of their husbands knowing or seeing such a terrible thing.
Let me be clear, I'm not excited about this being a part of the birth process, but it is what it is. And it gets taken care of immediately by the staff who are caring for you. And hopefully Morgan will never know - and if he does I know he'll love me anyway and never bring it up. So if you are reading this and POOP is taboo in your life, I recommend facing it now! Besides, POOP will be even more of a reality in our lives after Thriller comes I am sure.
RING OF FIRE: Apparently right before the baby comes you become so hot that you literally will feel like you need to back up off of a heat source at the birth canal. This is often referred to as the "Ring of Fire" and the best way to get through it is to just remember - you're moments away from having your baby in your arms!
I like that part the most. Can't go through the pain, can't go around it - but just go through the ring of fire and meet your child. I think I can handle that!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
My Big Baby
As I started off pregnancy on the heavy side, then lost 13-18 pounds in the first trimester due to extreme morning sickness coupled with migraines. I have slowly floated along my pregnancy boasting gleefully that my hips are slimmer. Well, the good news is that my hips are still slimmer.
In my last doctor's appointment I finally gained my first pound, and was honestly a bit relieved to know that the baby was getting bigger. At that appointment Dr. V suggested that I was measuring a little big, but did not seem terribly concerned.
However, in the past two weeks I have put on an additional 4 pounds and am measuring 37 cn - which is where I should be measuring at 37 weeks - meaning that our little Thriller isn't so little! I would like to think that he/she has just had a growth spurt and will balance back out to be within the average size range. Morgan, on the other hand, believes I should not put so much faith into what is considered "average." He is probably right as neither of us is anything like average!
I am also sure that in the past two weeks I have gone through major physical changes. It is much harder for me to get up, I am extremely uncomfortable when sitting down, I can't sleep for longer than 3 hours at a time, bending over is no longer really an option and I have an insatiable thirst for water. What is going to happen as I get bigger? Geez!
Due to the increased size, I am going to have ANOTHER ultrasound on 12/22. This will be my 4th one and I am honestly not very excited about having it due to the concerns about over exposure to the process. At UCSF they clearly told us they were researching and publishing why it is important to have as few ultrasounds as possible and suggested you should have 2 at most unless you are considered high risk. I don't think the fact that Morgan and I made a big baby should come as any surprise to anyone, and I don't think that it makes me high risk - especially considering that everything has been totally normal thus far. But alas we are slaves to the medical profession - we should have the ultrasound in case there is XXX which could mean complications YYY. I like Triangle OBGYN and trust them - I don't think they are just trying to make a buck off of me at Thriller's potential expense - so fingers crossed we don't have any Xs or Ys in a couple of weeks.
At least Morgan will get to come to this one so he'll get another visual. There is the silver lining.
In my last doctor's appointment I finally gained my first pound, and was honestly a bit relieved to know that the baby was getting bigger. At that appointment Dr. V suggested that I was measuring a little big, but did not seem terribly concerned.
However, in the past two weeks I have put on an additional 4 pounds and am measuring 37 cn - which is where I should be measuring at 37 weeks - meaning that our little Thriller isn't so little! I would like to think that he/she has just had a growth spurt and will balance back out to be within the average size range. Morgan, on the other hand, believes I should not put so much faith into what is considered "average." He is probably right as neither of us is anything like average!
I am also sure that in the past two weeks I have gone through major physical changes. It is much harder for me to get up, I am extremely uncomfortable when sitting down, I can't sleep for longer than 3 hours at a time, bending over is no longer really an option and I have an insatiable thirst for water. What is going to happen as I get bigger? Geez!
Due to the increased size, I am going to have ANOTHER ultrasound on 12/22. This will be my 4th one and I am honestly not very excited about having it due to the concerns about over exposure to the process. At UCSF they clearly told us they were researching and publishing why it is important to have as few ultrasounds as possible and suggested you should have 2 at most unless you are considered high risk. I don't think the fact that Morgan and I made a big baby should come as any surprise to anyone, and I don't think that it makes me high risk - especially considering that everything has been totally normal thus far. But alas we are slaves to the medical profession - we should have the ultrasound in case there is XXX which could mean complications YYY. I like Triangle OBGYN and trust them - I don't think they are just trying to make a buck off of me at Thriller's potential expense - so fingers crossed we don't have any Xs or Ys in a couple of weeks.
At least Morgan will get to come to this one so he'll get another visual. There is the silver lining.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Jane comes to visit!
The nursery is really starting to take shape! I wish I could take any credit, but alas my inexperience with these sorts of things rendered me unable to even consider creative sticker murals as a way to liven up the room given Morgan's moratorium on painting.
Enter Jane Sneed: Oldest friend in the world, mother of two, and regular decorator and re-decorator. Jane is one of those girls who always has images of how to make things look better in the back of her mind - and she worked some serious magic in Thriller's room. We now have trees, owls, squirrels (much to Cooper's dismay), frogs, turtles, bluebirds and bears - creating a warm and perfect little themed (but not over themed!) room.
In addition to Jane's decorating skills, she also re-introduced me to Babys R Us. While I have no intention of making this a regular shopping spot - it was MUCH better to go to the store with an experienced mom who could explain things and help make some since of it all. And that is where they had the super cute wall stickers!
I was treated, treated, and treated again over her stay and learned volumes of practical mom knowledge.
Thank you Jane!
Enter Jane Sneed: Oldest friend in the world, mother of two, and regular decorator and re-decorator. Jane is one of those girls who always has images of how to make things look better in the back of her mind - and she worked some serious magic in Thriller's room. We now have trees, owls, squirrels (much to Cooper's dismay), frogs, turtles, bluebirds and bears - creating a warm and perfect little themed (but not over themed!) room.
In addition to Jane's decorating skills, she also re-introduced me to Babys R Us. While I have no intention of making this a regular shopping spot - it was MUCH better to go to the store with an experienced mom who could explain things and help make some since of it all. And that is where they had the super cute wall stickers!
I was treated, treated, and treated again over her stay and learned volumes of practical mom knowledge.
Thank you Jane!
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Cooper:The Ultimate Protector
I've mentioned throughout the blog that Cooper has been very attentive throughout my pregnancy - I still think he was the first to know that I was expecting. He is especially protective when strangers approach me. Since we have been in Raleigh there has been a lot of rain - causing southern storms unlike those we experienced in California. Today has been one of those stormy, windy rainy days.
Cooper has not only refused to leave my side throughout the storms, but today he has taken it to another level. This morning I woke up to find his paws tucked under my ever increasing belly. As the winds have gotten stronger so has his devotion. Not only does he feel the need to be right next to me but whenever possible he puts himself right next to my belly. He seems totally drawn to touch it and I know that Thriller has been kicking (or punching or elbowing) in areas where Cooper has been resting his head and he has to be able to feel it.
I can't wait to see Cooper greet Thriller! I might have to buy a video camera to document the occasion.
Cooper has not only refused to leave my side throughout the storms, but today he has taken it to another level. This morning I woke up to find his paws tucked under my ever increasing belly. As the winds have gotten stronger so has his devotion. Not only does he feel the need to be right next to me but whenever possible he puts himself right next to my belly. He seems totally drawn to touch it and I know that Thriller has been kicking (or punching or elbowing) in areas where Cooper has been resting his head and he has to be able to feel it.
I can't wait to see Cooper greet Thriller! I might have to buy a video camera to document the occasion.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Nursery Progress
About 1/4 of the very blue nursery is filled with the few remaining boxes we need to unpack. The rest is full of our recently assembled baby furniture! YAY! Morgan and I spent much of Sunday setting up the crib (which was pretty easy) and the dresser (which was much more challenging!) and today I finished the job by putting together the changing table. Whew. Nesting has taken hold!
We have been all over the place on getting the nursery furniture together - from looking at high end designers to mass producers (Pottery Barn, Land of Nod, etc) to local craftsmen to hand me downs. I was feeling a lot of pressure to get the main parts of the room together and my mom came through and ordered our set right when the immediate nesting need took hold. We decided to go with the DaVinci line, which is constructed of sustainably harvested wood from New Zealand and has a nontoxic finish (higher standards for nontoxic than just what is required by law). However, it did come in a lot of packaging material! So I am not sure that our good intentions totally counteracted our carbon footprint on this one - but we did the best we could. And truly, I couldn't be happier with the look and feel of the room ... and look forward to finishing the room over the next week or so!
Cooper is feeling a little neglected while I am distracted! Tomorrow may have to be Cooper day to make up for all my other activities.
Bradley Class 5
Last night I went to our Bradley class solo, as Morgan is back in California for work. It will be his last work trip for some time, at least until a month after the birth and I am really secretly hoping for April. He is of course following it up with a trip to the Sierras for the weekend, where God willing there will be some snow for him to work out a little of his ski itch.
Back to Bradley. It was the best class yet! At least the most informative as we actually started talking about labor and what we (mom and coach) will need to do up until transition. Not the best class for Morgan to miss - but Laura, our instructor, gave us a DVD for him to watch and I took serious notes - which were of course typed up and emailed to him earlier today - with all the most important parts in bold.
As I am not a scientific person, much of what we learned yesterday that was most interesting to me was about "effacement" - I am now certain that the uterus is the most amazing organ in the body. Muscle literally moves from the front where it is protecting the baby to the back of the uterus to give your more strength to the baby out. Amazing. Wow. Body is amazing. This information, as well as a very visual images of my cervix dilating to 10 cm (about the size of a grocery store bagel) are going to help me tremendously in labor. While I am not a scientific person, I am very visual and I know focusing on images of what is happening inside me will help me get through the contractions.
We also learned about the 3-2-1 rule, which suggests that unless we have an accelerated progression, we wait until the contractions are 3 minutes apart, lasting at least 1 minute for at least 2 hours before going to the hospital. I think this will be key to my stamina - to stay at home as long as possible. While I was initially disappointed with the fact that we are not going to be in a birthing center, the close proximity to the hospital (10 minutes tops) does allow us a lot of freedom in this regard. Fantastic.
My confidence that we are going to be able to birth Thriller is growing by the day - and more importantly by the class. I am certain that by the time its TIME we will be able to be an educated, effective team in the delivery room. And baring any major unforeseen complications - I am certain with can bring this child into the world without drugs.
Back to Bradley. It was the best class yet! At least the most informative as we actually started talking about labor and what we (mom and coach) will need to do up until transition. Not the best class for Morgan to miss - but Laura, our instructor, gave us a DVD for him to watch and I took serious notes - which were of course typed up and emailed to him earlier today - with all the most important parts in bold.
As I am not a scientific person, much of what we learned yesterday that was most interesting to me was about "effacement" - I am now certain that the uterus is the most amazing organ in the body. Muscle literally moves from the front where it is protecting the baby to the back of the uterus to give your more strength to the baby out. Amazing. Wow. Body is amazing. This information, as well as a very visual images of my cervix dilating to 10 cm (about the size of a grocery store bagel) are going to help me tremendously in labor. While I am not a scientific person, I am very visual and I know focusing on images of what is happening inside me will help me get through the contractions.
We also learned about the 3-2-1 rule, which suggests that unless we have an accelerated progression, we wait until the contractions are 3 minutes apart, lasting at least 1 minute for at least 2 hours before going to the hospital. I think this will be key to my stamina - to stay at home as long as possible. While I was initially disappointed with the fact that we are not going to be in a birthing center, the close proximity to the hospital (10 minutes tops) does allow us a lot of freedom in this regard. Fantastic.
My confidence that we are going to be able to birth Thriller is growing by the day - and more importantly by the class. I am certain that by the time its TIME we will be able to be an educated, effective team in the delivery room. And baring any major unforeseen complications - I am certain with can bring this child into the world without drugs.
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