The Switcheroo

If you read this blog, you know our goal is a non-medicated, natural birth. Some people think that's crazy, but I'm not sure why anyone would think that. Yes, it will be harder (pain-wise) on me, but it will be so much better for Liam. I'm willing to endure that pain because it's what's best for him. Plus, the epidural scares me more than the pain. I've never been in the hospital or been given heavy narcotic medication, and I don't know how my body will react to it. The most important moment of my life is not when I want to find out.

I had talked to my doctor some about my wishes for a non-medicated birth. Her reaction was that, yes, I could do that, but I would be be asked several times if I wanted the epidural. Most of the women she delivers get the epidural, so that is what's normal for her. There would also be a time limit on labor, meaning that if I labor a long time, I would be pushed to speed things up. Also, my  one position option for delivery would be on my back on the bed. Now, they obviously can't FORCE me to do anything I don't want to do (except the delivery position). My fear is that I would get bothered so much about these things and I might be in such an emotional and physically exhausted state that I might give in. I would rather not be in such a situation.

So, we finally decided we needed to make a change...at 31 weeks pregnant. We had known for a while that a midwife would be a better choice for us. I just didn't know how to switch or if it would even be possible to switch. The first thing we did was call some birth centers, since we figured that would be the only type of place to get a midwife. All of them were pretty much booked up for May, but were willing to meet with us and possibly take us on. Then my doctor informed me I was a carrier of Group B Strep. It doesn't mean I have an infection, just the bacteria that can cause it. It does mean that I will have to get antibiotics by IV when I am in labor because it can be bad news if a baby were to get the infection while being birthed. My doctor and nurse informed me it was not a big deal at all. However, with that information we decided we would feel more comfortable delivering at a hospital just in case something were to happen. I just figured I would stick with my doctor and hope for the best outcome.

Then our Bradley instructor told us about a midwife who delivers at a hospital (big Baylor). She said this midwife was wonderful and that Baylor was the most non-medicated birth friendly hospital in the area. I called the midwife's office, explained my situation, and set up a meeting with her. She is the only midwife in an office of doctors, which means she is covered in network by our insurance. I met with her last Wednesday and absolutely loved her. She answered all my questions the way I wanted them to be answered. She didn't hesitate to become my midwife, and she referred to my son by his name throughout the meeting. I loved that! Before I left, she checked his heartbeat and felt him. She said his heart sounded perfect and that it felt like he was currently in a head down position. I left there feeling great about making the decision to switch! I will not be asked if I want an epidural. I will be allowed to labor AND deliver in any position I want. I can labor in water or walk around outside if I want to. Yay!

Today, we took the maternity tour at Baylor and I feel 100% sure we made the right decision to switch. They advocate no separation between mother and child (unless, of course, it's necessary). They are super supportive of breastfeeding, with 90%  of mothers there choosing to do so. Everything the instructor said was what I wanted to hear. I am actually excited about giving birth there. Our new midwife was even there in the Labor and Delivery area because she had just delivered an 8 pound, 10 ounce baby naturally...on a Saturday. That baby was not scheduled! Will got to meet her.

I am so much more at ease with our choice now. I'm actually looking forward to the labor and delivery of our son!

30 Week Update

I am 3/4 of the way through this pregnancy (assuming I last until 40 weeks). By the grace of God, everything is still going amazingly well!

I had my 30 week appointment a few days ago. Baby Liam is doing well. He had a strong heartbeat and has grown since the last appointment. I did pass my glucose test and my iron levels were "awesome" according to the nurse. She asked me if I ate a lot of red meat. I told her I hadn't had red meat in about 5 years because I'm a vegetarian. She was very impressed. So it is totally possible to be a vegetarian and perfectly healthy while pregnant.

As we come into the final couple months before Liam's birth, I have to admit that I am not yet ready for his arrival. The next 6 weeks or so are going to be crazy busy. Will has to travel for work, I'll have two baby showers, and we will move to a new apartment. I will not feel really settled and ready until we are completely moved into the new place. Add work on top of all of that and the weeks are going to fly right by. Our plan is to start packing this weekend. I've been snagging paper boxes from work.

We are trying to make Liam's birth the best it can be, which is why at 30 (almost 31) weeks, I am trying to switch from my current doctor to a midwife. At first, I thought my doctor would be fine with a natural birth, but now I'm not so sure. She says she's fine with it, but I don't think she has much experience with it. My fear is that I will be pressured into doing something I don't want to do at the hospital out of fear or ignorance. SO, I have an appointment Monday with a midwife who practices in a doctor's office and delivers at a hospital. I'm praying it's the best of both worlds. I got my medical records from my current doctor today, and I'm hoping the midwife agrees to take me on as a patient. I like knowing he would be delivered by someone totally committed to natural birth, and if something were to go wrong, then we'd be at supposedly the best hospital in DFW (Big Baylor). That also means I got to see all my pregnancy-related medical records. It's confirmation that everything really is going well.

I leave you with a picture of shoes. We bought Liam his first pair of Simple shoes this week (with a coupon!). Here's one of Will's Simple shoes next to Liam's little one. There's going to be two tiny feet in this house soon!

Last Week of the Twenties

Today, I'm 29 weeks pregnant, which means next Sunday I hit the 30 week mark. 30 weeks! This second half of pregnancy is going by just as fast as the first.

I had a doctor's appointment Thursday. I had to take the 1 hour glucose test. I don't know yet if I passed or not. Of course, I'm really hoping I passed it...unless I actually do have gestational diabetes. Then we need to find out as quickly as possible. It's crazy that it really has no symptoms. I'm hoping they tell me tomorrow or Tuesday if I failed or passed.
Other than that possibility, everything is going perfectly fine. My blood pressure was still normal, although it was slightly elevated for me. The nurse said the glucose drink can do that to some people. I got to hear Liam's heartbeat, and the doctor said it was good and strong at 135 beats per minute. I wish she listened to it longer. I could probably listen all day. I guess the good news is that I don't have to wait a whole month to hear it again. I have to go to the doctor every two weeks now! I guess my belly is measuring fine. She never comments on the size of it.

This past Wednesday, we started our Bradley method childbirth classes! The Bradley Method Our goal is to have a natural, non-medicated birth. We have to learn how to do that, so we're taking a class. I think it will be a great resource for us. In the first class, we learned the exercises I need to do everyday to prepare my body for it, a relaxation technique, and proper nutrition. Thankfully, I already knew some of that because my friend Crystal is a Bradley instructor and has told me some stuff, plus I've read Dr. Bradley's book, "Husband-Coached Childbirth." I'm taking it seriously and doing my exercises everyday. I'm getting 80 - 100 grams of protein everyday (on a balanced, vegetarian diet). I like it so far because Will has to be super involved as well. Liam is his child too and Will wants the best for him. I think Will would prefer I give birth at home with a midwife, but I'm not on board with that this time. I do have the "What if something goes wrong?" thoughts. Hopefully for the second child (God-willing) when I know more about how labor and delivery works, we can do that. We are thinking about hiring a doula for this birth. So I will be giving birth in a regular hospital. I know that will make it harder to get the natural birth I want, but it's not impossible. They can't MAKE me get an epidural. BUT, if it starts hurting really bad, I might want to cave and get one since it would be so convenient. That's where Will comes in to help me through the pain and help me stick to the natural decision we've made. A natural birth will be impossible without him. There will be pain. Childbirth is meant to be painful. Through this class, we'll learn how to manage the pain. I'm really excited about this class! Of course, there's always the possibility I will have to have a c-section for some reason. Some of them are actually necessary (not all, but some). I would be cheating myself and Liam if I didn't prepare for the best way, though. And I pray everyday that I won't have to have a c-section. But if it ends up being best for Liam and for me to have one, then that's how it will be.

Last night, we experienced the first time moms presale at Divine Consign, a huge baby/child consignment sale. I guess I didn't really know what to expect since I don't frequent consignment sales. I thought we had a leg up since we got to go to the presale before the general public, but those who actually put items in the sale got to start shopping 2 hours earlier. They pretty much bought all the good stuff. We were hoping to find a changing table, but no luck. Everything that was halfway decent already had a pink Sold sticker on it. There were people everywhere with carts and strollers and laundry baskets piled high with baby clothes and other items. It was overwhelming to me. Somehow we ended up buying 4 things: a pair of baby shoes, a tummy time mat, a gently used Baby Bjorn carrier, and a fabric sling that was only $7. The tummy time mat and Baby Bjorn were things I had actually registered for (I took them off the list), so it was not a complete failure. However, the long check out line almost made us want to give up before we even started.

Third and Final

Today marks the beginning of the third trimester!

I'm still feeling normal and pretty great overall. My belly is getting bigger everyday. Liam has been kicking a lot lately. He's getting bigger and stronger. Will gets to feel him kick all the time now.  Liam even kicked Will in the head a few times the other night when he put his head on my belly and started talking to Liam.

I think we're both really excited that Liam will be here before too long! Sometimes when I stop to really think about what's about to happen, though, and realize that my life will never be the same again, and that it will no longer be just me and Will...it feels a little overwhelming. I don't know what it's like to not be just the two of us, and the unknown can always be kind of scary. I think it will be amazing, though. We just celebrated our eighth anniversary, so it's about time we had a kid, right?

My Childhood

It's been a little while since I posted anything, so I figured it was time to do so. Lately I've been thinking and wondering what kinds of things Liam is going to like when he's a kid. I wonder what the coolest toys will be, and if I'll have to deal with a child who begs for them whenever we go to a store. So that got me thinking about the things that remind me of my childhood. I'm talking about toys and games and TV shows and such. Things that when I see or hear mention of them these days, I get a little nostalgic. So growing up as a girl in the 80s, here are some of the things I quite enjoyed back then (in no particular order of importance or even in date order):

Barbies: I had a TON of Barbies, and played with them all the time. Fave: Peaches and Cream Barbie

Pogo Ball: Shaped like Saturn and tons of jumping fun

Ribbon Streamers: Great for twirling around and dancing with
Care Bears: I still have my Care Bears lunch box I got in preschool
Strawberry Shortcake: I loved anything Strawberry Shortcake
My Little Pony: My favorite one was pink with teal hair

Hula Hooping: In my adult life, I can't do it to save my life, but back in the day I could handle two at once and even walk around while hula hooping. Skills.
Popples: I had one that was a soccer ball when you rolled it up
Jem and the Holograms: I had books and dolls and watched the cartoon. I always wanted some big star earrings.

The Disney Channel: I stayed with my grandparents a lot and they had satellite TV, so I watched it all the time when I was there. Back then, the Disney Channel played old stuff so I mostly remember old Mickey Mouse cartoons and Disney movies.
Nickelodeon: If I wasn't watching the Disney Channel, I was definitely watching Nickelodeon. Double Dare, Inspector Gadget, You Can't Do That on Television, Out of Control, Looney Toons, Mr. Wizard, then later on-Pete and Pete, Salute Your Shorts, Hey Dude, Doug, Rugrats, Ren and Stimpy, etc. Then you had the old shows they aired like Dennis the Menace and Lassie. My favorite was probably Clarissa Explains it All, though. I do have a fondness for old school Nickelodeon.

The Monkees: For some reason, Nickelodeon aired episodes of The Monkees TV show from the sixties. As a result, they were my favorite band when I was 7. I'm pretty sure I entered a contest to meet them.

Nick at Nite: Man, I sure watched a lot of Nickelodeon. I would watch Nick at Nite with my grandparents. I loved Mr. Ed, The Patty Duke Show, The Donna Reed Show, Dobie Gillis, My Three Sons, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Green Acres, etc. I also remember watching Laugh-In and Mork and Mindy. All that old stuff! I also asked them if the TV was broken since it was in black and white.
Dirty Dancing: Yes, I was allowed to watch this movie as a child whenever it came out. I remember dancing to "I've Had the Time of My Life" on the second grade playground!

Walk Like an Egyptian: This was my favorite song for a while when I was a kid, and yes, I walked around doing the Egyptian arms.
California Raisins: Remember when they were huge? I still have my California Raisins I got from all those kid's meals at Hardees in Homer.

New Kids on the Block: Around 4th grade every girl loved them. I remember being quite upset when I didn't get to go to either concert they performed in Shreveport. Then I remember the hubub dying down in 5th grade. Were they really that short-lived, or am I not remembering it correctly?
The Baby Sitters Club: I was obsessed. Lots of books, movies...the board game. You name it, I probably had it. That obsession lasted for years. Well, it lasted until I was 13, which is the same age as the girls in the books. Once they were no longer older than me, it was no longer cool. I have the same birthday as the author, Ann M. Martin, though. I was truly upset when I found out years later that most of the BSC books were ghost-written.

 

There you have it, some of the things that remind me of my childhood. There's so much more I could add, but I will stop there. Perhaps I'll get Will to post about his childhood since he's a boy and liked different stuff. This post was fun!

Can We Get a Clear Shot of It?

You already know Liam's a boy, but I want to share with you the video of the exact moment we were told he was a boy. Will recorded it with his cell phone. I'm so happy we have this moment on video!

Liam Update

I finally had my doctor's appointment this past Thursday. It was supposed to happen the previous Tuesday, but was canceled due to weather. So it had been more than 5 weeks since the last one. Thankfully, I was able to go after work and not have to take off any time in my first week. The appointment was very quick, but once again everything checked out fine and normal. My blood pressure was normal, and I got to hear Liam's heartbeat. It was 143 beats per minute, so it is getting slower over time. My next appointment is in less than 3 weeks, and I will have to do the glucose test then. At that point, I will be in the third trimester and have to start going every two weeks. Let's hope I can schedule most of them for after work!

Speaking of work, I started a temp to hire position at Cigna this past week. My background check and paperwork went through faster than I expected, which is great. I work on a "team" of 16 or so people, which I think just means we sit in the same general area and are under the same manager. I have my own cubicle and computer and such. I basically do whatever they tell me. It's all admin/office work. I've caught on quickly and kept busy the first week. I enjoy the people around me as I've gotten to know a few of them better. Most of them are temps as well. I also enjoy getting up every morning and going to work. That may sound crazy to some people, but I really do. I also like getting paid, which will happen every week starting next week. I think this job will do quite nicely until the baby comes. There's a filtered water and ice machine on the floor and I drink water all day long and no one bothers me about going to the bathroom ALL THE TIME. No one has said a word about my baby belly, and I've only told one person I'm pregnant, a temp who started just a few weeks ago. I'm sure they can tell, though. I definitely can't hide it any longer, not that I would want to. I did find out that when it's time for me to have the baby, I will still be in the "temp" period and working through the temp agency. My temp agency's policy is that if you miss 5 days, they replace you. So I will not be able to keep this job once Liam is born. That's ok. I will figure out something else to do after he is born. As long as I can work until May, that will be great. I really am thankful to be working!

Liam has been growing lately. I came home Friday from work, looked in the mirror and told Will that my belly was bigger than it had been that morning. He agreed. It is a gradual process, but I swear my belly pokes out more and more every day. For a few weeks now, I've been able to feel his kicks on the outside of my belly and occasionally see my belly move if I'm paying attention. So cool! What's even better is that in the past few days, Will has been able to feel and sometimes see some of Liam's kicks as well. Before, if he was kicking a bunch, I'd get Will to put his hands on my belly, but Liam would usually stop or Will would say he couldn't feel it when he kicked. But every evening the past few days, he's been able to feel some of them. Will tells him to "Kick me as hard as you can," but that doesn't really work. He does not kick on command. I've noticed that Liam is more active at night. I barely feel him for the first few hours I'm awake, and then I feel him off and on throughout the day. The activity picks up at night, though. I wonder if that's any indication of how he'll be outside the womb. If he's night owl, he'll have his daddy to blame. I used to be a night owl, but having to get up early for work and then being in pain in the morning makes me go to bed earlier and wake up earlier these days.

Being pregnant has been great so far. I haven't had much to complain about at all. I feel perfectly normal pretty much all the time. The only time I'm in pain is first thing in the morning. I have to sleep on my sides, of course, and that puts a lot of strain on my hips these days. So I flip from side to side throughout the night when the pain of a hip hurting wakes me up enough to let me know it's time to flip. As a result, both of my hips hurt every morning when I wake up. Sometimes my legs even hurt down to my knees. Once I manage to roll (literally) out of bed and walk around some, the pain goes away. I probably need one of those pregnancy pillows, but I"m afraid of spending the money on one and then it not working. So really, that's my only pregnancy pain complaint. It's not so bad, but I do need to find a solution soon.

I'm 26 weeks today! Fourteen-ish more weeks to go. Yesterday, we ordered our Chicco Travel System, so little man will be able to go places in style. Last week, we got a bouncy seat for him. I can't wait for him to get here and use it all! I think the weeks will fly by now that I'm working. He'll be here before I know it: ready or not.