Well, we had our 35 week appointment last Wednesday and it was the longest one we've ever had. We were there for right about an hour, and from what I understand, in the world of OB appointments, that's pretty long. It started out normally, her asking what issues or questions I had, me complaining about my legs and feet being swollen, the lack of sleep, my hip pain, etc, etc. Then came the ultrasound to check Pumpkin's position as she had been breech at our last ultrasound. What a good girl I have, she is head down! And way down, apparently. Dr. pointed out that her head is sitting right on top of my cervix, which, by the way is "loosening up", and it appears that I've dropped already. Good news, good news. But then Dr. begins to take some measurements and it's discovered that Pumpkin is measuring a bit behind. So Dr. again takes measurements and then again takes measurements and each time Pumpkin comes up somewhat small. We've been assured that we don't need to worry, amniotic fluid levels are good, her heart rate is good, everything looks good except her smallness. We have another ultrasound and OB appointment next Tuesday (my birthday!) to check her growth.
She has grown since our last appointment and that is good. Dr. thinks she might just be a small baby, and if that's the case, that's okay with me. I don't mind small and healthy one bit - hey, easier labor and delivery for me, after all. But of course my main concern is that she is healthy. I am doing pretty good at not worrying and am just trying to keep my cool until we know more at our next appointment. The only thing I've been dwelling on is that if she comes early, she'll be really small and might not be able to room in with me. But, I have no reason to think she's coming early (except that everyone and their brother keeps telling me they think I'm going to have her two weeks early - I really wish people would quit saying that!!) so I'm trying not to dwell on that too much.
So, that's the latest news around here. Hope all is well with all of you, my dear non-existent readers. I'll certainly post an update after our next appointment if I don't post something sooner.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Classes, Hippies, Etc.
So we've started our childbirth education classes. We are taking two, the standard hospital course and a course focused on having a non-medicated labor/delivery. We've had two hospital classes already and are really enjoying it. The instructor has been teaching childbirth education for over 20 years and it shows, she is excellent. Class is generally a very enjoyable time. The other couples are all very nice and there frequently is joking and laughing amid all the learning.
Our naturally focused class started this past Sunday. I was expecting a room full of hippies with dreadlocks, all wearing patchouli instead yuppie deodorant, and eating rice cakes covered in nutritional yeast and Bragg's amino acids, but that is not what I found. To my surprise, all the couples save one seemed to be normal, average people. And really, only half of that stand out couple was hippie-ish.
*Now, let it be said, I am not picking on hippies here. My hubby's family is full of them. Seriously. Where do you think I get the description above of the dreadlock having, patchouli wearing, rice cake with yeast and Bragg's eating hippie? Although none of my in laws have dreadlocks, one brother in law refuses deodorant and wears patchouli oil instead, and a snack my hubby still enjoys from his childhood is rice crackers (or popcorn sometimes) covered in nutritional yeast and Bragg's. His whole family was raised vegetarian and they ate and still eat some of the craziest things I've ever heard of. His mother has never owned a microwave (she thinks it causes cancer or something) and his father knows which plants out in the yard are safe to eat. And he puts them on top of salads - in order to eat them. Anyway, I could go on and on, but I think that's enough of that.*
So, back to the natural class. We are much closer to our due date than anybody else in the class - everybody else is due a month or two after we are. This was made incredibly apparent when we were told to get down on the floor to do some exercises. First we sat cross legged - HA! - which didn't seem to be much of a struggle for anyone else, but for me and my swollen legs it was quite a lot of work. Then we did some leg lifts, that was okay, but then we did some modified leg lifts where you place your top leg in front and lift your back leg up from behind. I thought I was doing really well with this, but hubby informed me later than my leg was only going up about 4 inches off the ground while everyone else's was going much higher. He said he felt a bit embarrassed for me and wondered if he should try to help me. Anyway, the whole exercise bit proved to be a pretty comical deal and hubby and I laughed it up later about it.
I'm really glad we're taking both of the classes. One big reason is that the natural class runs over our due date, so we may not even get to finish it. But aside from that, we are learning so much in the regular course that I don't think we're going to get in the natural course and of course we will learn things in our natural course we won't get much of in the regular course. So we will be well versed in labor and delivery by the time this is all over. This is a really good thing since I'm an obsessive planner and really like to know all about something before I go into it. I'm hoping this will help hubby and I feel more comfortable trying to direct ourselves during labor and delivery - especially since I am really hoping for a non medicated delivery.
Of course, there is still the tiny matter of the fact that Pumpkin may still be breech. We have an OB appointment tomorrow complete with ultrasound to find out her position. The natural class teacher suggested handstands in the pool to turn a breech baby. Depending on what we find out tomorrow, I may be doing that this weekend. Or at least trying. I'm pretty sure it will be hilarious, so if yall want to come and watch the giant, swollen pregnant lady try to do handstands, just let me know. It'll be my own little comedy routine.
Our naturally focused class started this past Sunday. I was expecting a room full of hippies with dreadlocks, all wearing patchouli instead yuppie deodorant, and eating rice cakes covered in nutritional yeast and Bragg's amino acids, but that is not what I found. To my surprise, all the couples save one seemed to be normal, average people. And really, only half of that stand out couple was hippie-ish.
*Now, let it be said, I am not picking on hippies here. My hubby's family is full of them. Seriously. Where do you think I get the description above of the dreadlock having, patchouli wearing, rice cake with yeast and Bragg's eating hippie? Although none of my in laws have dreadlocks, one brother in law refuses deodorant and wears patchouli oil instead, and a snack my hubby still enjoys from his childhood is rice crackers (or popcorn sometimes) covered in nutritional yeast and Bragg's. His whole family was raised vegetarian and they ate and still eat some of the craziest things I've ever heard of. His mother has never owned a microwave (she thinks it causes cancer or something) and his father knows which plants out in the yard are safe to eat. And he puts them on top of salads - in order to eat them. Anyway, I could go on and on, but I think that's enough of that.*
So, back to the natural class. We are much closer to our due date than anybody else in the class - everybody else is due a month or two after we are. This was made incredibly apparent when we were told to get down on the floor to do some exercises. First we sat cross legged - HA! - which didn't seem to be much of a struggle for anyone else, but for me and my swollen legs it was quite a lot of work. Then we did some leg lifts, that was okay, but then we did some modified leg lifts where you place your top leg in front and lift your back leg up from behind. I thought I was doing really well with this, but hubby informed me later than my leg was only going up about 4 inches off the ground while everyone else's was going much higher. He said he felt a bit embarrassed for me and wondered if he should try to help me. Anyway, the whole exercise bit proved to be a pretty comical deal and hubby and I laughed it up later about it.
I'm really glad we're taking both of the classes. One big reason is that the natural class runs over our due date, so we may not even get to finish it. But aside from that, we are learning so much in the regular course that I don't think we're going to get in the natural course and of course we will learn things in our natural course we won't get much of in the regular course. So we will be well versed in labor and delivery by the time this is all over. This is a really good thing since I'm an obsessive planner and really like to know all about something before I go into it. I'm hoping this will help hubby and I feel more comfortable trying to direct ourselves during labor and delivery - especially since I am really hoping for a non medicated delivery.
Of course, there is still the tiny matter of the fact that Pumpkin may still be breech. We have an OB appointment tomorrow complete with ultrasound to find out her position. The natural class teacher suggested handstands in the pool to turn a breech baby. Depending on what we find out tomorrow, I may be doing that this weekend. Or at least trying. I'm pretty sure it will be hilarious, so if yall want to come and watch the giant, swollen pregnant lady try to do handstands, just let me know. It'll be my own little comedy routine.
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