- The other morning, M spooned up behind me in bed and I fell back to sleep in his arms as his hand cupped my belly. I must have dozed for a good half hour and when I came through again his hand was still there. He told me that he and Little Planet had been playing "call and response" through my tummy. Incredible - father and daughter playing together and yet I didn't feel a thing - I was simply the conduit!
- This afternoon, I had a routine midwife check up at the hospital. Unless a woman is under- or over-weight, my antenatal unit never bothers with weighing sessions, but I requested to be weighed because I was convinced I'd put on a stone, at least. So I was shocked to discover I've put on just 5 pounds of weight. My midwife told me it is fine because the baby is the correct size for her age. But I feel like an elephant.
- It was lovely hearing her heartbeat again - unlike the last time, the midwife found it easily as Little Planet wasn't racing around inside of me.
- Though I am due on 3rd June, I'll officially leave work on 16 April - my 33rd week because I am also taking a chunk of annual leave. It's early I know, but we'll be in the new house by then and I want to nest and kick back and read childcare books and watch chick flicks and buy nice things online for the house and generally potter and prepare for the biggest adventure of my life. Because after the birth, I will get little if any time to myself (ever again?!?).
- This is the adventure that dwarfs all the other big adventures in my life, from living on an American Indian reservation with a medicine man to struggling through cancer.
- I'm also considering a number of baby books now that my pregnancy is two-thirds along. I'm going to buy and read a handful of classics though fully mindful that at the end of the day I will respond to my baby in a way that suits her (and me) best. Anyway, let me know your thoughts on these (and perhaps suggest others): The Happiest Baby On The Block by Harvey Karp; Secrets Of The Baby Whisperer by Tracy Hogg; The New Contented Little Baby Book by Gina Ford; What To Expect The First Year by Arlene Eisenberg, Heidi E. Murkoff, Sandee E. Hathaway.
- The one thing I haven't been able to bring myself to think about in too much detail is the birth itself - ouch! I have to look away if I see birth scenes on TV. I need to start thinking whether I want to give birth in the midwife-led birthing unit attached to my hospital or on the consultant-run labour ward. Though I have no problems with drugs and conventional birthing techniques, I have bought a set of natal hypnotherapy CDs and my NCT antenatal classes start in a month. Will have to start preparing myself for it all soon.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
25 weeks
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13 comments:
Not sure where you are having the baby but I cant recommend the one I had my little one enough.
I did not need any medical intervention or any pain relief. The midwife massaged my back and my feet which greatly helped with the pain, had lit some heavenly aromatherapy candles, put on soothing music and had run a bath (I did not want a water birth but she said the sound of running water would help). They dimmed the lights and spoke in whispers just as the baby popped out because they wanted to keep the environment as close to the womb as possible.
For lack of a better word, it was spiritual.
The post birth care was fab too. There was just one more mom in the Birth Unit an so my older kid got VIP treatment from all the midwives :) They even allowed her to stay the night with us in our room, which I think greatly minimised chances of any potential sibling rivalry.
Long comment (sorry!), wanted to tell you about this hospital.
Heh its taken me so long to figure out how to comment on your posts :) Sounds like you are enjoying every minute of it and I have to stop reading all these new mums and mums to be blogs, its making me feel broody! Hope someone will soon write and remind me about all the sleepless nights before I do anything drastic :)
Good luck
//from living on an American Indian reservation with a medicine man to struggling through cancer.//
WOW!
American Indian reservations always fascinate me. How did you find medicine man's treatment for cancer? I don't know anything about it. I have heard about the medicine man and the other group (forgot the name).
Glad that the cancer bit is over bow.
One of my friends is 20 weeks pregnant and she hasn't gained any weight. Her baby is also doing alright as told by her midwife.
The pain was very much unbearable, but that was only during the last phase. up to 8cm dilation one can go without any pain relieving drug, imo. so, one can give it a go without any pain relieving drugs if the labour is not a long labour. I don't know anything about the pushing stage as I went for C sect after I got 9cm dilated.
@WA, haha. :-))
Choxbox - that sounds lovely. Here in London, NHS hospital midwives will certainly light candles, but only during a powercut ;-)
Welcome WA - I am sure I will be able to put you off once I've posted about my labour. In the meantime, please all do not post your horror stories otherwise I may try and push Little Planet back inside me when the push comes to shove, so to speak!
Normal Self - Hi new akka, whoops sorry, amma :-) No, I lived on a reservation separately to my bout with cancer so these two big adventures were unrelated. Though interestingly, on the reservation I did participate in a ceremony for a woman who had cancer whilst having cancer lurking deep inside of me without me knowing it. Very eerie.
So many new things at once -- very exciting, and perhaps a bit daunting? But sometimes there are moments where you feel life taking a turn, and it feels good. I'm sure this is one of these. Cheers, BB
Err.. this place is in London, which is why I put the whole story down. Thought you were still making a decision about where you'd have the baby, so.
A friend of mine used Hypnobirthing for her delivery recently. she trained in it and practised it religiously throughout her pregnancy. And didn't give in to pain meds during the delivery. She thought the hypnobirthing techniques helped a lot BUT she would not do it again. She is going for a pain killer the next time. :)
It's nice that you will have all this time off before the delivery.
Hi Choxbox - for some reason I assumed you were outside of London. Where did you give birth in then? Your experience sounds devine!
Chakli - Did you friend feel the natal hypnotherapy wasn't sufficient to deal with the pain then? I am fully open to using the techniques as well as the drugs.
Hi BB - you wise one ;-) Have to admit that most of my adult life has been a continuous series of changing moments. I can't remember the last time my life stood still for a while. With hindsight, all these changes were necessary - good and bad - and have made my life what it is today. I seriously would not change a thing. Here's hoping to many more life-changing moments for years to come!
Am very much a Londoner, which is why I like reading about your interesting experiences in this city!
Yeah, she thought the pain was a bit unbearable. Like you say though, this technique used along with the meds could be helpful. One of my friends said the yoga breathing techniques she learnt in her prenatal yoga class helped her a lot.
SilentOne
I would strongly recommend gas and air. There are only two schools of thought for this - some absolutely hate it and some love it. I loved it and coupled with the breathing techniques that I learned at the ante-natal classes, it helped me deal with the pain.
One of my friends (the one who shared her weekly progress by email) was all set for a home hypnobirth; however, because she has ME, weight problems, and is in her very late 30s, we her friends were worried.
Turns out the labour went on and off (mostly off) for a week before she gave in and agreed to a C-section, also gave in and begged for air and gas!
It all depends on the person's level.
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