I. AM. SO. RELIEVED.
I could hardly wait to write this post! I have sounded so unlike myself in my last posts that I was hardly recognizable, even to me! Now I am filled with hope and joy, and much more ME!
I had my midwife appointment yesterday afternoon, and had written down all the burning questions that I felt I could not live another day without asking. I didn't even have to. I mentioned at the beginning of the appointment that I had some concerns about the actual process of my labour, my midwife took it from there and led me through the exact experience of birth I had dreamed for. I actually had tears in my eyes I was that relieved.
Now, I don't for one second live in the delusion that everything goes exactly as planned. I am not that foolish, but if things come up that I would prefer to avoid I would like to be informed and an active participant in the decision making process. I truly believe that my midwives are exactly what I need.
Some of the burning questions I had included:
Q. Will I be able to stay at home for as long as possible until we go to the hospital?
A. Yes, in fact we can even plan tentatively for a home birth just in case you change your mind at the last minute and don't want to leave because you are laboring so well at home. When your contractions become regular one of the midwives will come to your house to be with you and help you make the decision when the right time to leave would be.
Q. What will the experience be like upon arriving to the hospital? Will I be checked internally a thousand times and have people in and out of my room constantly?
A. No. You go straight past admitting into a room after signing one document and won't have to see anyone but the midwife (barring complications) until the time to push. When that time comes a nurse will come in to be a second pair of hands.
Q. Will the baby be taken from me and have tests and the weight done immediately or will I be able to hold the baby and potentially nurse if the baby wants?
A. Absolutely not. The only time the baby would be taken away is if there are respiratory concerns and the baby is struggling to breathe, and even then it would be taken to the warmer which is very close to you. The baby comes out and is placed on you and all tests and weight etc will be done fairly leisurely. There is no hurry.
So to confirm there will be no "scrubbing" down of the vernix, and I can just let us both relax and "bond"?
A. While the midwife takes care of any tears and delivers the placenta the baby will be with you and your husband.
Wow. Everything that I was so scared to have happen aren't the way these ladies think at all. I am so incredibly thankful that I chose them and that they have such a great working relationship with the hospital I chose. The weight has been completely lifted from my shoulders and I no longer am thinking about having to "protect" myself while I am most vulnerable. I feel confident and reassured that my body will have the patience and guidance I need to be able to deliver naturally and as enjoyably as possible. I feel so happy.
If my appointment could get any better after that.... I would have been so surprised! And of course it did!!!!
My blood pressure was within normal range on the first try. This has NEVER happened it always takes three tries for it not to be super high.
The baby is no longer breech! He is head down and low which indicates that he fits well in my pelvis! So, at the risk of sounding incredibly rude...... All of the people in my life that have been using the "scare tactics" to inform me that I "would" be having a C-Section- YOU can suck it! Ahhhhhhh that felt good.
Also, I am measuring normally again! I am 32 weeks and measuring 33 cm so I'm not far off exactly where I should be :)
Then things got even better! Without even asking my midwife volunteered that my weight gain is completely within normal range and that I have gained only baby so far! I feel like a giant heifer, but it certainly felt good not to be incredibly worried about it for a while. I have gained 23 pounds in total so far, but I was a little heavy before I got pregnant.
My appointments start every two weeks now, and it felt like I would never get to this stage, and unfortunately was actually even dreading getting to this stage. I feel much different now. I feel calm and ready to take on both the challenge of labour, but also motherhood. I feel like this baby and I are on the same side now rather that fighting against each other. I feel like it's time to start embracing the joys of this pregnancy rather than focusing on the negative. Because realistically it's a miracle that it even happened and a much unexpected one as well.
Thank you for everyone's comments on my last post. I am still grieving, but I know it will get better. I am still struck by the force of missing him when I least expect it. I love you and miss you Mister Monster and I just hope you are having a great time in cat heaven :)
Showing posts with label bump. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bump. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Huge Fundal Height Measurement
Hi Everyone,
I had my midwife appointment yesterday. Wow. It seemed like a lot of information to take in this time.
The major points include:
My blood pressure is typically a bit elevated most of the time, and usually we do two or three reads to try to get the most accurate one. I think it's a bit of the white coat syndrome even though my lovely midwives dont' wear white coats ;) This time even the last read was still a bit high, and I'm just hoping it goes down. I was relieved to hear that they would be with me no matter what (well, except for a premature birth) even if I was diagnosed with high blood pressure, or gestational diabetes.
I am going to take the Glucose test tomorrow morning because I don't think I can wait too much longer without knowing and you are supposed to do it before the 28th week anyway. I also have to do a food diary for three days to see if there are any areas that they can help me in terms of nutrition. I gave a quick description of what I have been eating like and they both seemed to think that it sounded ok, but I do need to get some exercise in. I explained that my hips and pelvis are still really bothering me since the accident and they recommended swimming... However, as nice and lovely as all the weightlessness sounds.... the fear of the dreaded bathing suit may take some getting used to. I literally haven't worn a bathing suit since I was about sixteen or seventeen, and I admit to some body image issues. I am going to try to find a prenatal yoga class that will work for me because I do see the benefit in attempting to work out the kinks in my painful parts that will help me in all aspects of my life and this pregnancy.
So, I guess I will post again after my GD test, and hope that it's negative.... more because of the huge baby thing than the maintenance through diet and exercise... that I can deal with I just don't want to give myself more chances to have to have a c-section etc.
The house deal is basically gone through though (YAY!), but unfortunately our mortgage payment is slightly higher than we hoped for so now we have a new set of budgeting to do. Also, we hadn't factored in life and house insurance along with the property taxes etc. It's looking like it will be close to six hundred dollars more a month more than we are paying now. And although it is very much worth it it's still alot to take in especially when my income is going to be cut in half in a matter of months, so we really don't even have a lot of time to save!
It's interesting in Canada that because we legally have almost a year of maternity (at a restricted pay level) that there is basically no child care available for very small children. For those people who may have to go back to work due to financial reasons or because they want to they have very limited options of how to ensure their child is taken care of other than by a family member. I have asked my bosses to allow me to work part time possibly from home after the first few months of getting acquainted with baby, and they said to play it by ear but that it would probably work out great. So I'm hoping to maintain my maternity leave pay from the government, but supplement it with some part time work to make ends meet.
Anyway, have to go now, but have a great week everyone and hope everyone is healthy and happy!
I had my midwife appointment yesterday. Wow. It seemed like a lot of information to take in this time.
The major points include:
- My fundal height is measuring 29.5cm when it should be 27cm...
- My blood pressure is high (it usually is a tad high, but higher than normal this time)
- My twenty pound weight gain in two months could be contributed to Gestational Diabetes
My blood pressure is typically a bit elevated most of the time, and usually we do two or three reads to try to get the most accurate one. I think it's a bit of the white coat syndrome even though my lovely midwives dont' wear white coats ;) This time even the last read was still a bit high, and I'm just hoping it goes down. I was relieved to hear that they would be with me no matter what (well, except for a premature birth) even if I was diagnosed with high blood pressure, or gestational diabetes.
I am going to take the Glucose test tomorrow morning because I don't think I can wait too much longer without knowing and you are supposed to do it before the 28th week anyway. I also have to do a food diary for three days to see if there are any areas that they can help me in terms of nutrition. I gave a quick description of what I have been eating like and they both seemed to think that it sounded ok, but I do need to get some exercise in. I explained that my hips and pelvis are still really bothering me since the accident and they recommended swimming... However, as nice and lovely as all the weightlessness sounds.... the fear of the dreaded bathing suit may take some getting used to. I literally haven't worn a bathing suit since I was about sixteen or seventeen, and I admit to some body image issues. I am going to try to find a prenatal yoga class that will work for me because I do see the benefit in attempting to work out the kinks in my painful parts that will help me in all aspects of my life and this pregnancy.
So, I guess I will post again after my GD test, and hope that it's negative.... more because of the huge baby thing than the maintenance through diet and exercise... that I can deal with I just don't want to give myself more chances to have to have a c-section etc.
The house deal is basically gone through though (YAY!), but unfortunately our mortgage payment is slightly higher than we hoped for so now we have a new set of budgeting to do. Also, we hadn't factored in life and house insurance along with the property taxes etc. It's looking like it will be close to six hundred dollars more a month more than we are paying now. And although it is very much worth it it's still alot to take in especially when my income is going to be cut in half in a matter of months, so we really don't even have a lot of time to save!
It's interesting in Canada that because we legally have almost a year of maternity (at a restricted pay level) that there is basically no child care available for very small children. For those people who may have to go back to work due to financial reasons or because they want to they have very limited options of how to ensure their child is taken care of other than by a family member. I have asked my bosses to allow me to work part time possibly from home after the first few months of getting acquainted with baby, and they said to play it by ear but that it would probably work out great. So I'm hoping to maintain my maternity leave pay from the government, but supplement it with some part time work to make ends meet.
Anyway, have to go now, but have a great week everyone and hope everyone is healthy and happy!
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Belly Buttons 'n More
Over the next few weeks, my belly really started to grow. I could see my belly button becoming more and more shallow until week 23, where half of it started to become an outie. It's funny how some women never get an outie and others get one very early on. Some women are really bothered by the fact that they develop an outie, but I didn't really care. I only wondered if my belly button would continue to pop out until it was a full outie, or if it would just remain in this in between stage throughout my entire pregnancy.
Aside from the outie belly button, I also developed quite a visible linea negra. The linea negra is a dark line that appears on your belly during pregnancy, running up and down your belly. It is usually most prominent under your belly button, but I developed a thin linea negra all the way up my belly, with a thicker line under my belly button. Apparently the hormonal changes that come with pregnancy stimulate increased pigment production, causing this area to darken.
What bothered me more than my outie or the linea negra was the dark pigmentation that developed around my belly button, making it look bruised. I'm guessing that the hormonal changes that cause the linea negra to form may also explain the darkening around my belly button. Regardless of the cause, I've heard from a few other women who have been pregnant that the skin just sloughs off after you have the baby and it looks normal again. (Kind of gross, but good to know it returns back to normal after pregnancy.) I have had a few people tell me that the pigmentation looks to be in the shape of a heart, so at least I have a semi-cute looking "bruise" around my outie :)
There are so many changes that your body goes through with pregnancy... what change has bothered you the most? What change occurred that you never expected?
Aside from the outie belly button, I also developed quite a visible linea negra. The linea negra is a dark line that appears on your belly during pregnancy, running up and down your belly. It is usually most prominent under your belly button, but I developed a thin linea negra all the way up my belly, with a thicker line under my belly button. Apparently the hormonal changes that come with pregnancy stimulate increased pigment production, causing this area to darken.
What bothered me more than my outie or the linea negra was the dark pigmentation that developed around my belly button, making it look bruised. I'm guessing that the hormonal changes that cause the linea negra to form may also explain the darkening around my belly button. Regardless of the cause, I've heard from a few other women who have been pregnant that the skin just sloughs off after you have the baby and it looks normal again. (Kind of gross, but good to know it returns back to normal after pregnancy.) I have had a few people tell me that the pigmentation looks to be in the shape of a heart, so at least I have a semi-cute looking "bruise" around my outie :)
There are so many changes that your body goes through with pregnancy... what change has bothered you the most? What change occurred that you never expected?
Monday, September 21, 2009
Kickin' up a storm
At my NT scan, the tech told me that my placenta was posterior and that it meant I would probably feel movement pretty early. She was right. At about 16 weeks, I started to feel the "bubbles" that I kept reading about. The feeling that you kind of think might be gas, but if you're not bloated, is probably the baby moving. I was lying on my side and it really just felt like bubbles in my belly. At 17 weeks, I was sure it was baby. She was kicking pretty low, sometimes around my cervix, and it was unmistakable. You'll know that one when you feel it!
By about 17w4d I could actually feel kicks from the outside! Since then, every time I feel her kicking hard I put my hand on my tummy to feel her kicking. It's amazing! And I can't get enough. Every night I put my hubby's hand on my belly to make him feel her kicks. I think he's felt her a couple times but he says he's not sure if what he's feeling is really her or just my muscle tensing or my breathing. He often says he felt something but it's not usually the times when I feel her kick really hard inside. So who knows?
You know, as amazing as it all is, this whole pregnancy is still so surreal to me. I still can't believe there's this little person growing inside me and I still don't really feel pregnant. Maybe because I still don't look pregnant? I just really don't feel much different, physically, than I did pre-pregnancy. Everyone has told me to enjoy my pregnancy because it goes by so quickly. And I'm trying to enjoy it. But it's so much different than I ever expected. I've gained between 6 and 8 lbs and I still just look a little chubby in the tummy. No flames, please, but it's just so hard to have to be okay with gaining weight, when, for as long as you can remember, you had to try so hard to lose weight or at least not gain any. I think I'm just in that stage where I still just feel fat because I don't have a real bump yet. And I know that I'll lose the weight once I have the baby, but it's just weird. I really thought I would embrace the belly, and maybe I will once it rounds out and looks like a baby belly. At least, that's what I'm hoping for. I do know that in the end, no matter what my body looks like, it will be worth it. I just can't wait to hold our baby in my arms!
By about 17w4d I could actually feel kicks from the outside! Since then, every time I feel her kicking hard I put my hand on my tummy to feel her kicking. It's amazing! And I can't get enough. Every night I put my hubby's hand on my belly to make him feel her kicks. I think he's felt her a couple times but he says he's not sure if what he's feeling is really her or just my muscle tensing or my breathing. He often says he felt something but it's not usually the times when I feel her kick really hard inside. So who knows?
You know, as amazing as it all is, this whole pregnancy is still so surreal to me. I still can't believe there's this little person growing inside me and I still don't really feel pregnant. Maybe because I still don't look pregnant? I just really don't feel much different, physically, than I did pre-pregnancy. Everyone has told me to enjoy my pregnancy because it goes by so quickly. And I'm trying to enjoy it. But it's so much different than I ever expected. I've gained between 6 and 8 lbs and I still just look a little chubby in the tummy. No flames, please, but it's just so hard to have to be okay with gaining weight, when, for as long as you can remember, you had to try so hard to lose weight or at least not gain any. I think I'm just in that stage where I still just feel fat because I don't have a real bump yet. And I know that I'll lose the weight once I have the baby, but it's just weird. I really thought I would embrace the belly, and maybe I will once it rounds out and looks like a baby belly. At least, that's what I'm hoping for. I do know that in the end, no matter what my body looks like, it will be worth it. I just can't wait to hold our baby in my arms!
Friday, September 4, 2009
Where has the time gone?
Wow. I didn't realize it has been well over a month since my last post! I'm still having blogger issues (only on my home computer) so welcome to our new Pregosaurs! The few times I've been able to comment on posts were when I was at work and had a free minute, which is rare when you're an RN. But I still read every post and am sending good thoughts to all!
Anywho...I'll catch you up on the haps. If you recall, at my NT scan, baby was looking definitely girly until the doctor came in and checked again. At that point, the nub looked like it was pointing up, indicating a boy. I told the doctor I was going to go to one of those 3D/4D ultrasound places to find out the gender at 15 weeks, which is when they say they can tell. He told me not waste my money and that he would just refer me back for a follow-up at 16 weeks. Cool, huh? So instead of paying $99 or whatever it is, I just paid my $15 co-pay.
Technically, I was 15w5d at my last ultrasound and everything is looking good. They mentioned that it looked like baby might have a echogenic intracardiac focus (EIF) and we saw the bright spot on the heart valves on the ultrasound, but the doctor assured us that it's nothing to worry about. Of course, I googled it as soon as I got home and my mind was put more at ease.
So on to the real reason for my ultrasound - gender check! I was pretty convinced after the NT scan that she was a she so I would have been pretty shocked to find out otherwise. I've always wanted a little girl! And luckily, I was not disappointed! Here's the "money shot". (Haha...the doc actually typed that in on the photo after I called it that. Other photos said "Baby Hoo Hoo" with the same arrows pointing to her girly parts.)
And, finally, my first bump pics to share. Here I am at 4 weeks and 17 weeks:
I still don't really think it's much of bump...it's more of a bigger pooch than what I had pre-pregnancy. I've gained 4-5 lbs and am definitely thicker in the middle. But I don't look pregnant in clothes yet and it's easily hidden. But my clothes have been noticeably tighter the last two weeks and I broke down and bought the BeBand from Target. I must say, I love it! I haven't had the rolling problems that I've read about so it must just depend on your body shape. I think I'll be able to keep wearing my regular jeans for quite a while with the band. I'm not quite ready to start buying maternity clothes because I don't want to outgrow them before I even get a chance to really wear them!
PS. I think I figured out my blogger issue. I'm pretty sure it's Zone Alarm, because when I turned it off, blogger started to work for me. So if anyone is looking for a firewall/internet security suite, stay away from Zone Alarm! It's given me other issues and I definitely do not recommend it!
Anywho...I'll catch you up on the haps. If you recall, at my NT scan, baby was looking definitely girly until the doctor came in and checked again. At that point, the nub looked like it was pointing up, indicating a boy. I told the doctor I was going to go to one of those 3D/4D ultrasound places to find out the gender at 15 weeks, which is when they say they can tell. He told me not waste my money and that he would just refer me back for a follow-up at 16 weeks. Cool, huh? So instead of paying $99 or whatever it is, I just paid my $15 co-pay.
Technically, I was 15w5d at my last ultrasound and everything is looking good. They mentioned that it looked like baby might have a echogenic intracardiac focus (EIF) and we saw the bright spot on the heart valves on the ultrasound, but the doctor assured us that it's nothing to worry about. Of course, I googled it as soon as I got home and my mind was put more at ease.
So on to the real reason for my ultrasound - gender check! I was pretty convinced after the NT scan that she was a she so I would have been pretty shocked to find out otherwise. I've always wanted a little girl! And luckily, I was not disappointed! Here's the "money shot". (Haha...the doc actually typed that in on the photo after I called it that. Other photos said "Baby Hoo Hoo" with the same arrows pointing to her girly parts.)
And, finally, my first bump pics to share. Here I am at 4 weeks and 17 weeks:
I still don't really think it's much of bump...it's more of a bigger pooch than what I had pre-pregnancy. I've gained 4-5 lbs and am definitely thicker in the middle. But I don't look pregnant in clothes yet and it's easily hidden. But my clothes have been noticeably tighter the last two weeks and I broke down and bought the BeBand from Target. I must say, I love it! I haven't had the rolling problems that I've read about so it must just depend on your body shape. I think I'll be able to keep wearing my regular jeans for quite a while with the band. I'm not quite ready to start buying maternity clothes because I don't want to outgrow them before I even get a chance to really wear them!
PS. I think I figured out my blogger issue. I'm pretty sure it's Zone Alarm, because when I turned it off, blogger started to work for me. So if anyone is looking for a firewall/internet security suite, stay away from Zone Alarm! It's given me other issues and I definitely do not recommend it!
