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| Ultrasound at 20 weeks. Top photo: baby's feet from bottom Bottom photo: profile |
Milestone 1: I wore my first official maternity clothes to work today. I was wearing normal pants, but had to hold them up by attaching a rubber band through the button hole and stretching it to extend around the button. Luckily these lovely maternity shirts are longish and cover the waistband of pants. I always wondered about that....now I know what pregnant women are hiding under that clothing....pants that don't close.
Milestone 2: signing up for a bunch of classes at the local hospital. Breastfeeding, child care, and a 6-hr "express" birthing class (since none of the regular birthing class sessions fit my schedule). And they are expensive! I didn't expect to pay for these classes, and lo and behold there are costs associated with each. The hospital tour itself is free. I signed up for that one too.
Now on to researching....doulas, birthing plans, car seats, cribs, strollers.....any ideas anyone?
And the emotion report: feeling good. Moodiness has largely disappeared (thank goodness). Feeling happy. Tired at times, but that seems natural.
Baby is definitely kicking. Not sure if anyone else but me can feel it yet.
SO wonderful to see the ultrasound pictures!!!! Can you believe s/he is real? It's amazing.
ReplyDeleteIf you have to cut costs, cut the birthing class, is what I would say. Holding an ice cube for five minutes and thinking about a beach sunset isn't that helpful. I enjoyed birthing classes, but they were completely useless to me in the moment. But if you can afford it, it is nice to feel like you are preparing somehow...
Doulas are wonderful. Birthing plan is a must. We can talk gear -- it's quite a consumer world out there for the expectant mother -- kind of out of control. If you register for stuff, let me know!
I totally agree with the person above--skip the birth class. You are a biologist...there isn't anything at a hospital-run birth class that you can't get from a book. A good doula will meet with you before the birth and talk you through breathing techniques and such. A good doula is worth their weight in gold...or more! They will help you write a birthing plan as well. Look for a DONA approved doula at http://www.dona.org/ (DONA is the largest certification group for doulas).
ReplyDeleteDon't buy a lot of stuff...babies don't need much. Really.