37 Weeks - Baby Pool Time!

It's almost time! I'm now in my 37th week and Baby D could make an appearance any day now. So, with that in mind, it's baby pool time! My sister-in-law is organizing a baby pool and we figured it'd be easier for me to let everyone know here instead of her e-mailing everyone individually. I'm not sure if there's any money to play or a prize involved (you'll have to ask her), but she is keeping a spread sheet and will let everyone know who won after Baby D is born.

Please e-mail her the following:
Sex of baby
Date of birth
Weight
Bonus: Baby D's name

All I ask is that you be nice to me when placing your guess. No 10-lb. babies, please!

If you don't have her e-mail address, it is her first name and maiden name (no spaces in between) @gmail.com. If you aren't sure of how to spell it or if it bounces back, shoot me an e-mail and I'll give it to you. But please don't send me your guesses, I'll look at them after Baby D has arrived.

Also, if you know people who don't read this blog but would like to participate, let them know.

Good luck!

It's Like Being A Celebrity

This weekend I gave up my rings. Both my wedding band and engagement ring have gotten a bit too snug. I can get them on, but getting them off has become challenging. Since I didn't want to have them cut off, I decided it's best to just lock them away until Baby D arrives. So now I'm pregnant and unwed (well, at least that's how it appears to strangers). Finally, I'm part of a Hollywood trend - Angelina Jolie, Nicole Richie, Katie Holmes, Minnie Driver, etc. all gave birth without rings on their fingers. And now, I will get to do the same. I just can't believe it took me 29+ years to be trendy and it took being bloated/swollen to do so.

Birth Plan (and more about Lamaze)

On Sunday H and I met with the doula for two and half hours. We went over our birth plan and she asked a lot of questions to better understand us and get an idea of what will and won't work during labor.

The whole meeting made me even more confident about my choices (in hiring her and trying to have a natural childbirth) and she even calmed my fears about delivering an eight pound baby. I told her that was my only real fear and she calmed my nerves by telling me that she once attended the birth of a Korean woman who had an 11-pound baby, naturally! If a tiny Korean woman can do that, then I feel comfortable with an 8-pound baby.

Yesterday I went over all of my preferences with one of my doctor's partners (I have to meet each doctor in the practice in case they are the one on call when I go into labor) and she was okay with most everything. Our next step is to write a one page birth plan that we can give to the doula, our doctor and the hospital staff. This will help them understand my wishes during labor and (hopefully) prevent them from insisting on interventions that I didn't ask for.

I'm glad that I'll be at Roosevelt Hospital as they are much more progressive than most of the hospitals in the city. Women have many options and aren't just forced to lie in bed with an IV. From what I've learned, this makes a big difference during labor.



Also on Sunday H and I went to our second Lamaze class and, honestly, we find the whole thing a little silly. We educated ourselves early on through movies and books and so a lot of what is discussed in class are things we already know. The instructor did introduce some coping techniques, such as different types of massage and breathing, but we don't need to commit these to memory since that is what the doula is for. Therefore, this class is pretty boring to us.

To make matters worse, while we're learning how to breathe and focus (a very serious exercise), H is making me laugh! He will swear to you that he didn't do anything, but when we were told to look into each other's eyes, a small smirk crept onto his face. So I'm cracking up laughing and everyone else is concentrating on thinking of that "special place." (You'd laugh too, wouldn't you?)

The best part of Lamaze is the other couples. Some are amusing and others are strange. There is one couple who announced that they plan to not diaper their baby - they want to try a process called "elimination communication" and claimed that they consider this an interesting social expirement. The basic idea is that infants are aware of their elimination needs from birth and parents can learn their signals as to when they need to go to the bathroom. When it's time to go, the parent holds the baby over a toilet, bathtub, sink, etc. and they go there. Supposedly, babies potty train much earlier. I wonder who thought of this. When did someone decide not to put a diaper on their baby and that they would be able to tell when it was about to pee or poop (or both)? How many soiled clothes and how much ruined furniture do you think these parents endure? What happens if you are stuck in traffic when your baby signals that he/she has to go? Or on an airplane? I don't think I'd want to be invited to this couple's house for the first year or two of their baby's life. The whole idea just grosses me out.

Busy Baby Day

Today was a busy baby day. We're finally starting to get ready for parenthood (I know, I know, we should've started a while ago) and there's a lot to do!

This afternoon I met with a baby nurse. Although I've been looking for a while, she is the first one that is available when we'd need her. Most nurses were either already booked (and I started 3-4 months in advance!) or will be out of town. She was nice and gave me some great tips for my recovery and for caring for the baby but I'm a bit nervous because she's only been a baby nurse for a year. Before that, she was a nanny. There is one other woman who is a possibility and then I need to make a decision.

Tonight we had our first Lamaze class. The classes are a total of 15 hours with each session being 3 hours long. There were seven couples in the class and one more will join for our next class. Even though I was the furthest along, I was not the biggest in the class. In fact, I was one of the smallest. I know it's kind of silly, but it made me feel good.  I always feel so big. The one other girl at work who is pregnant is about two months behind me and so tiny that I feel huge! And since everyone else I work with is not pregnant, she's my only regular comparison. 

This weekend will be more baby fun. Tomorrow I am going shopping to purchase all of the things I'll need for my labor bag. On Sunday we have our second Lamaze class and are then meeting with the doula to go over the birth plan.

So much to do, so little time!

It Keeps Growing and Growing...

This morning I got my second to last fetal growth scan and Baby D is right on track! Right now, the technician estimated that it is 4 lbs. 12 oz. But here's the scary part, if Baby D continues to grow at the normal rate of half a pound per week, then it will be about 7 lbs. 12 oz. when born! (Coworkers who read this: keep that math in your head if they do a baby pool!) That seems like a big baby to me. I hope I can deliver a baby that size. I'm not worried about the labor, just the delivery (now).


I'm also a bit worried about how I'll move around. At this size, I already feel I'm pretty big and am starting to feel the strain on my back. I can't bend over anymore and my feet have completely disappeared from view when standing. I can't imagine another three pounds. I'll be waddling everywhere!


We (H was with me) learned today that Baby D has moved slightly since last month. Instead of it's head facing my back, it's now facing my belly (for delivery it is ideal for it to be facing my back but it can still turn around again). And it's body is now on my left side. The butt on the top right, the feet on bottom right and hands on bottom left.


I showed the technician where I feel the most pressure and she confirmed that it is the butt. She said it could be from Baby D curling up its legs and therefore pushing against my belly. I think Baby D just likes to stick its butt out at me.


I'll post pictures later.

Grandma

My dad's mother passed away last night. She's my first grandparent to do so and it's very hard for me not to be there. Since I'm so far along in my pregnancy, it's not a good idea for me to fly down to Birmingham for the funeral. I wish I could be there for my dad, Grandpa and, of course, for Grandma.


I've been very fortunate that I haven't had any close family members pass away so it's a new thing for me. (The last was my great grandmother when I was six. I was too young to go to the funeral and didn't really know what happened until I was older. I am the only great grandchild who remembers her and I always remember her telling me that I was her favorite because I was the oldest.)


Grandma has been sick with Parkinson's for a few years but that doesn't make it any easier. It's been about a year and a half since I last saw her and at that point she was doing okay. She used a walker and couldn't move around like she used to, but she was in good spirits and still had her signature personality. (And, of course, a spunky dog to keep her company.) I'm glad that will be my last memory of her, but I still wish I could say goodbye. I'll do the most I can from here - donate money in her honor and think about her tomorrow. Maybe I'll have a bowl of Frosted Flakes (what she served my sister and I for breakfast every time we visited her) in her honor.

Full Moon

Remember the two women from the Halloween party who had the conversation about my looks within earshot? Well, I have another story to share.

I had to go to Woman 2's office to hand her some paperwork and Woman 1 was in there eating lunch. They asked me how many weeks I have left (only six, can you believe it?) and then Woman 1 told me that I was having a girl because my face changed (honestly, it's just gotten fat, not sure it's really changed other than that). After talking about that for a minute or two, she spouted out another old wives tale that I'd actually never heard of.

She told me that all babies are born around the full moon. Either on the full moon or a day or two afterwards. She said that I need to check the calendar for the next full moon and then I'll know exactly when the baby is coming. Although I find this very hard to believe for a number of reasons (see below), I politely told her I would and I actually did. If she's right (ha!), the Baby D will arrive about four and a half weeks early (December 12) or five days early (January 11). While H would like the first option (for tax reasons, remember?), I would prefer the second because, honestly, I'm not ready yet. Bags haven't been packed, necessities (diapers, etc.) haven't been purchased, etc.

But, I don't buy into that so I'm not banking on it. I could go on and on about why this is nonsense but here are my top three reasons:

1. Hospitals don't only deliver babies once a month. That's a fact.

2. If it really were true, wouldn't OBGYNs base your due date on the lunar calendar instead of your menstrual cycle?

3. I checked some recent birth dates of friends' babies and none of them were born on or right after a full moon.

If, by some chance, I do have a girl and she is born on or right after a full moon then this woman should start charging for her predictions!