Now at Week 30. 10 more to go.
Obviously pregnant now, and growing. Baby kicks all the time. Right now, the baby's arm or foot is right under my right rib cage. That is the least comfortable place for it to be. And it is happening with increasing frequency.
Because of my recovering ankle (now 6 weeks on crutches), I'm not exercising much, but I am resting a lot. I hope this means the baby will be well rested, too! I miss walking, swimming, yoga, and generally staying active and I wonder if I am not doing the baby any favors by not being able to do these things. I also realized that taking so much time off from being active is going to make it that much more difficult for me to get back in shape after the baby is born. But I'm getting ahead of myself....one day at a time!
Monday, November 29, 2010
Doula-ing
My husband and I are checking into using a doula, a birth "consultant" for assistance with our birth. I'm curious about using a doula because 1) I'm in an HMO and can't pick a specific health provider to be with me at the birth 2) I could use a little extra advocacy in the hospital and 3) lots of women friends have said how wonderful doulas can be. We have met with two doulas. Both seem just fine. I wonder how to pick one? Both are friendly. They are each the back-up for the other. One has years more experience, but the other seems a bit more outgoing and ebullient. One knows massage techniques. The other has kids.
Any suggestions on how to choose from here?
Any suggestions on how to choose from here?
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Today's hospitals
My husband and I recently took a hospital tour of one of the two possible hospitals I can deliver at. I was certainly not the most uncomfortable looking pregnant woman on the tour (a harbinger of things to come), but I was the only wheelchair bound pregnant woman! My husband pushed me around. This wheelchair was extra wide. I could have put several shopping bags on either side of the chair with me. Sheesh.
Anyway....the LDR (Labor Delivery Recovery) suites are private rooms with private bathrooms with showers, and a little nursery nook where the baby is weighed and checked, and placed under warming lights, and given their vit K shot soon after birth. Today's women go through labor, delivery, and recovery in the same room. It has a hospital bed and all the lights and monitors needed, but it also has a pull-out chair for the father/partner. Up to four guests can be in the room at any time. Actually, the journey begins at another bed in triage where the woman's labor progress is initially assessed. After around 30 minutes, the couple is moved to LDR for the remainder of the birth process. About 1.5 hours after recovery (meaning stitching and initial baby checks), the couple moves again to a different wing altogether...the Family Centered Care Unit. This unit has both semi-private or private rooms (at a surcharge). The scary operating room lights are not in this space. Instead, it looks like a normal hospital recovery room. There is a little bassinet for the baby, who rooms in with the mom, and the partner again gets a pull-out chair that converts to a bed. These rooms all seem to have windows, and the room has free WiFi. A lactation consultant is on call, and a nurse comes to check on you. You stay in the Family Centered Care Unit for about 24 hrs before going home.
Overall, I'm impressed with the facilities. Baby birthing has apparently really changed since I was born. Now, skin-to-skin (baby/mom) contact is the norm, and rooming in is expected. The father/partner can stay with the mom for the entire process, and is encouraged to stay the whole time. Breastfeeding is encouraged. The hospital seems to expect that women have different tolerances for pain, and are willing to offer epidurals, or go with a natural childbirth. There are no birthing tubs, but there are showers in the LDR suites which apparently helps enormously with labor pains.
At the same time that I was glad to learn all this high tech stuff, all this information is overwhelming as it hints that things might go wrong....the big operating room lights, all the machines....but well, we'll not focus on that! Can't control it anyway!
Anyway....the LDR (Labor Delivery Recovery) suites are private rooms with private bathrooms with showers, and a little nursery nook where the baby is weighed and checked, and placed under warming lights, and given their vit K shot soon after birth. Today's women go through labor, delivery, and recovery in the same room. It has a hospital bed and all the lights and monitors needed, but it also has a pull-out chair for the father/partner. Up to four guests can be in the room at any time. Actually, the journey begins at another bed in triage where the woman's labor progress is initially assessed. After around 30 minutes, the couple is moved to LDR for the remainder of the birth process. About 1.5 hours after recovery (meaning stitching and initial baby checks), the couple moves again to a different wing altogether...the Family Centered Care Unit. This unit has both semi-private or private rooms (at a surcharge). The scary operating room lights are not in this space. Instead, it looks like a normal hospital recovery room. There is a little bassinet for the baby, who rooms in with the mom, and the partner again gets a pull-out chair that converts to a bed. These rooms all seem to have windows, and the room has free WiFi. A lactation consultant is on call, and a nurse comes to check on you. You stay in the Family Centered Care Unit for about 24 hrs before going home.
Overall, I'm impressed with the facilities. Baby birthing has apparently really changed since I was born. Now, skin-to-skin (baby/mom) contact is the norm, and rooming in is expected. The father/partner can stay with the mom for the entire process, and is encouraged to stay the whole time. Breastfeeding is encouraged. The hospital seems to expect that women have different tolerances for pain, and are willing to offer epidurals, or go with a natural childbirth. There are no birthing tubs, but there are showers in the LDR suites which apparently helps enormously with labor pains.
At the same time that I was glad to learn all this high tech stuff, all this information is overwhelming as it hints that things might go wrong....the big operating room lights, all the machines....but well, we'll not focus on that! Can't control it anyway!
Getting better!
Yeah! I'm healing! Now I can hobble around my house without crutches....which means I can carry my own lunch dishes to the table to eat, and carry a book from the bedroom to the living room. It now feels like I may actually get back to normal in 2 weeks or so. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!
Last night, my husband and I did some "designing on a dime". We moved the guest room bed downstairs to the basement "nook", and then moved the rather fancy rug into the piano room and exchanged it for the more modern and whimsical rug. We moved a small chest of drawers, and a bookcase up from the basement, and then decorated with a few random childrens books, and stuffed animals. So, who needs to buy expensive room redecorating linens? Our room is looking pretty good just by shuffling our existing furniture and repurposing items and rugs. I'm also thrilled with the little wooden bassinet/cradle that we borrowed from my brother-in-law. It's adorable and far nicer than the bassinets on sale in those superstores. I love circumventing the commercialism!
Last night, my husband and I did some "designing on a dime". We moved the guest room bed downstairs to the basement "nook", and then moved the rather fancy rug into the piano room and exchanged it for the more modern and whimsical rug. We moved a small chest of drawers, and a bookcase up from the basement, and then decorated with a few random childrens books, and stuffed animals. So, who needs to buy expensive room redecorating linens? Our room is looking pretty good just by shuffling our existing furniture and repurposing items and rugs. I'm also thrilled with the little wooden bassinet/cradle that we borrowed from my brother-in-law. It's adorable and far nicer than the bassinets on sale in those superstores. I love circumventing the commercialism!
How do women do this?
Ok, One question. HOW do women do this???
Three weeks ago I broke my left ankle, so not only am I pregnant -- I'm also on crutches. Which pretty much sucks. Sometimes I feel lucky that I can do some things, and I know that this is temporary. Other times, I get so overwhelmed. My husband has taken on all laundry, dog walking, grocery shopping and cooking, in addition to the myriad of projects he wants to do for himself plus his very stressful job. Meanwhile, I'm reduced to typing on my computer, lying on the couch reading magazines or playing on my iPhone. It isn't fair. I look around and see so much that needs to be done/cleaned/attended to before the baby comes and I can't do it. And I can't do my swimming exercises and I haven't been to prenatal yoga in 3 weeks. Again, this is temporary. My foot is healing. It certainly feels better than it did three weeks ago! So I need to remain positive, for my sake and for the baby's. I know I do. But banishing the pity party is very hard, I gotta say.
Three weeks ago I broke my left ankle, so not only am I pregnant -- I'm also on crutches. Which pretty much sucks. Sometimes I feel lucky that I can do some things, and I know that this is temporary. Other times, I get so overwhelmed. My husband has taken on all laundry, dog walking, grocery shopping and cooking, in addition to the myriad of projects he wants to do for himself plus his very stressful job. Meanwhile, I'm reduced to typing on my computer, lying on the couch reading magazines or playing on my iPhone. It isn't fair. I look around and see so much that needs to be done/cleaned/attended to before the baby comes and I can't do it. And I can't do my swimming exercises and I haven't been to prenatal yoga in 3 weeks. Again, this is temporary. My foot is healing. It certainly feels better than it did three weeks ago! So I need to remain positive, for my sake and for the baby's. I know I do. But banishing the pity party is very hard, I gotta say.
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