My Labor and Delivery Story Continued

SO SORRY! I SWEAR I POSTED THIS ALREADY.

My mom and sister got out the car with their dog and went into the house. It was 11 am at this time. Chef and I walked back to the house where my mom grabbed my belly and said, "YUP you're in labor" We called the birth center while we were out on our walk (only because my mom was pestering me), and because it was "off" hours the nurse had to get the midwife on call to give us a call back. She called us back withing 5 minutes and I gave her the rundown on what had been happening. She asked us how far away we lived. I told her a mile and a half so she told us to make our way there so she could check on me and see what was going on.

Chef packed the cooler full of snacks and we grabbed our bag by the door and headed to the birth center.

When we got there the midwife said, "WHOA I thought you were an hour and a half away." Uh-Oh! I told her just a mile and a half and we laughed at the miscommunication. What was interesting is that there are only 2 birthing suites and someone had just had a baby in one so they were going to be there for at least 6 more hours and there was a woman in labor being monitored in the other. I thought to myself that my worst nightmare had just come true. I DID NOT want to deliver my baby in the "overflow" room. There's no pool in there.

The midwife told us she had her hands full (she sure did) but she would get to check me in just a bit. About 15-20 minutes passed while I labored in the waiting room and she took me back to examine me. After the exam she said, "You're five centimeters. Looks like you're going to have a baby today." Chef screamed, "YES!" She told me she had to shuffle the rooms around to get one ready for us and I thought to myself, maybe she's kicking someone out. She sure did. The couple that was laboring was not as far along as I was so she told them to go home and labor for a while even though she was hooked up to the monitors and everything. *On their way home her water broke in the car and they ended up turning back around so they could stay this time* Chef and I walked outside while she was cleaning the rooms for us and we decided to call/text family and friends to let them know we were in labor and the baby would be here that day. I was still handling the contractions well and there still wasn't any pain involved just an intensity that I can't describe with words.

By the time the room was ready for us to get all set up and for me to be monitored it was after 12. The monitoring was to make sure the baby could tolerate the contraction. Once they monitored me for 15 minutes and everything checked out ok I was free to move around and do whatever I wanted. Eat, sleep, sway, rock... whatever

I bounced on the yoga ball for a while and swayed back and forth with each contraction and then I noticed Chef taking a NAP on the sofa in our room. I guess it's fair. He was up with me in the wee hours when I was debating with myself what was going on in my body. The midwife came in and started filling up the tub. She said, "I like to just fill it up so by the time you're ready to get in we don't have to wait." Sounds like a plan to me. It literally took almost a half an hour to fill up that thing. a 300 gallon tub is no joke. Once the tub was full she said, "You can't get in until you're 7 centimeters so just hang in there until you just can't take it anymore." OH MAN! The warm water looked soooooo goooooood. I was practically salivating. When the midwife came back in I told her to check me just for funsies. I wanted to know how far I had progressed.  SEVEN CENTIMETERS! I couldn't get my clothes off fast enough. As soon as I sat down in the warm pool.... instant relief. It took the edge off of my contractions even though I was still moaning and groaning. I could move and sway around. It was just awesome.  It didn't take long for my contractions to get closer and closer together and I could hear the woman that came back to the birth center in the waiting room moaning along with me. Apparently our contractions had synced up (I have a history of doing this to people) and I sped up her labor.  As my contractions intensified so did my vocalizations. Labor sounds are sounds from the gut. Deep moans and groans that I could not control. I have no idea what those people on TV are doing with those high pitched screams. Chef was by my side on the edge of the tub at this point feeding me coconut water and making sure I was ok. I had him turn off the jets in the pool because they were getting on my nerves. I was being monitored every 15-20 min or so with a handheld doppler just to make sure baby was fine. The midwife and the nurse also checked the temperature of the water to make sure it was not lower than 97 degrees and no higher than 101. During one of my more intense contractions, the end of my moan turned into a grunt/involuntary push. Shit was getting real. Chef looked at me and asked, "Are you ready for me to get in." I gave him the nod and he was in his swim trunks in no time.

CONTINUED

My labor and Delivery Story

WARNING: Long post

It all began around 12am on June 10, 2012. I had a sensation that woke me up out of my sleep. It wasn't painful, just different. Chef was asleep and I wasn't about to wake him up for what I thought was nothing.  I went to the bathroom and laid back down. The contractions continued but I figured they were just like the other Braxton Hicks I had for months...just a little stronger. About an hour and a half later the contraction woke me up again. I reminded myself of what my midwife told me at one of my visits, "With Braxton Hicks just about anything you do can make them stop but when it's GO time, nothing you will do can make them stop." With that, I decided to hop in the shower. By this time it was 3am. The sound of the shower woke Chef up and he asked me if everything was alright. I told him I was having contractions and wanted to take a shower to see if they would go away.  At this point he couldn't go back to sleep. He was so concerned. After I got out of the shower (with him in the bathroom the ENTIRE time just in case) he asked if I wanted to go on a walk. I said SURE. So here we are 3:30 in the morning walking around the neighborhood. At this point I still wasn't convinced I was in labor. The contractions were getting closer together but they weren't painful.  Chef and I got bored after about 45 minutes and decided to head back to the house to watch some movies. We were watching Snow White and the Huntsman and I swear to you I didn't make it past the opening credits because I went to sleep. The contractions woke me up again around 6 am and Chef and I decided to take another walk around our neighborhood. This time around I had to stop walking during a contraction. Not because it was painful, but because I physically couldn't move my legs. Chef was timing them and they were 5-6 minutes apart lasting between 30 seconds and a minute. At this point I decided I was in labor and was going to take things 2 hours at a time. I wanted to labor at home for as long as possible because my biggest fear was to get to the birth center and be turned away because I wasn't far enough along. I wasn't having it. I tired myself out walking and we headed home. By this time it was 7 in the morning and I decided to give my mom a call to let her know what I thought was going on. Before I called my mom i went to the bathroom and when I wiped, I noticed I had lost my mucus plug. I had also gone to the bathroom (number 2 style) at least six times at this point. I figured my body was making space . Putting all of this together, I knew it was real. My mom is an early riser like me so I knew it wouldn't be a problem with me calling her at 7am. I told her I thought I was in labor. She was beyond excited and we discussed the symptoms I was having to confirm. I told her that i felt fine and that she should stay home until I decide to go to the birth center and see what they say. She agreed and told me she needed to go tell my sister.

Ok. Chef and I took another nap only to be awakened by a phone call from my mother around 8:30 -9am asking if we had called the birth center yet. NOPE. I took a nap slumped over my ottoman in the living room because that was comfortable to me and I didn't see the need to call the birth center if I could take a nap through my contractions. I was trying to rest up for the big event. She lectured me on how she thinks we should call just to make sure everything was ok with the baby and to get checked. I told her to stop worrying, I was fine, Baby was fine and I didn't feel like I needed to call the birth center yet. She then proceeds to tell me, "We're on our way!" She only lives an hour and a half away I figured she could at least wait until the birth center said I should stay before she made her way to our house I said, "I told you to stay home until we got to the birth center. What if I don't have the baby today?" She said, "OK OK OK! But you need to call them." I told her I would see how I felt in 2 hours and keep her updated. I took another nap but my contractions were definitely getting closer together. When I woke up, I told Chef I wanted to go on another walk. This time while we were walking the contractions squeezed a tear out of my eye. Not because they were painful, but because the squeezing was just so tight I lost a little eye juice. As we were making our way around the cul-de-sac, out of the corner of my eye I see my mom's car pull into my driveway. What the hell man?!

to be continued...

Labor and Delivery

Don't be mad. I know it's been a month. I've been busy. I'm still working on my labor and delivery story but until I post that, I wanted to share some labor and delivery photos to hold you over.

In labor at the birth center..7cm dilated and still in control

7+ cm dilated and in the birthing pool. Going through transition with a half smile on my face

An hour and a half after I entered the pool my little peanut was born in the water. Alert but calm

She's Here!

Our daughter, Jada, was born at 4:34 pm on June 10. I was 38 weeks and 5 days pregnant when she was born. She weighed 7lbs 5 oz and was 20 inches long. I honestly thought I had at least a week to go before she was born but she was ready to see the world. So, for all those people who say first time moms go over their due date, it doesn't happen to everyone. Jada came 9 days early, but right on time. I had an amazing experience at the birth center and she was born naturally and in the birthing pool! She is such a calm little girl. We feel very blessed that we're able to get sleep at night and feel rested for the day ahead. She lets us know when she's hungry and needs to be changed. Other than that, she's not fussy and loves to be talked to when she's awake. I will either write a lengthy post about my labor and delivery story or post a vlog about it. I think the video might be easier. Until then... here's a glimpse of our little angel. 

Prenatal Visit #12 - 38 Weeks

The window for having this baby is narrowing.  At this point it could be today or at most 4 weeks from today. I doubt she'll be two weeks late though. The inevitable is hitting me hard and I think I'm going to really miss carrying my little girl around in my belly. Overall, this pregnancy has been fun.

At my 38 week visit at the birth center Chef and I watched our last video. This one was about labor positions to help ease pain as well as turn the baby in case she was in a not-so-favorable to my birth canal position. For example, the ideal position for the baby is to be head down of course, but to have her back to my belly button. If her back is towards my back, that could cause a longer labor and a labor with intense back pain. To turn the baby while I'm in labor I could essentially labor on all fours which would allow gravity to bring the heaviest part of the baby (her back) to my stomach. There were a lot of positions discussed including lunges, side-lying, squatting and all that good stuff. I made sure Chef was paying attention so he could remind me when I'm in all that pain. HAHA.

The next part of this visit was my INTERNAL EXAM! I was curious to see if I had dilated or effaced any and I was finally going to get my answer.  Oh, before the exam my midwife checked the baby's position and heart rate (130bpm...it's going down) and measured me. I'm still right on track. So... she goes in to check my cervix...I'm dilated 1cm. YAY! Things are moving as they should. She also made the comment that "your thinning out very nicely." I secretly wanted to ask how many percent but didn't to keep some mystery. I didn't care if it was .05% or 50% quite honestly. As long as things are going and progressing I can't be mad.

What's In My Bag and Other Stuff We're Taking to the Birth Center

I wanted to have everything packed and by the door by the time 37 weeks got here because from that point on it's pretty much a countdown. We have 2 car seats and they are both strapped in to my and Chef's car. The birth center gave me a list of things that I should include for me, Chef and baby, so I used that as a template and free styled the rest.

The birth center made sure to tell us on that list not to bring diapers for the baby because they will have those and blankets for us to use while we're there.
 For baby:
*note that we don't know how big she is so we are packing multiple sizes
(2) Newborn onesies
(2) 0-3 month onesies
(1) newborn sleeping gown
(1) 0-3 month sleeping gown
(2) pairs of socks
(1) pair of mittens
(2) hats- one has the cutest little bunny on it
(1) blanket - its soft, medium weight and fleece.

The sheet also says to bring a "going home outfit". I figure she can come home in one of those gowns. The bunny one converts to snap between the legs so we shouldn't have a problem with the car seat harness. Maybe I'll bring her some pants just in case. We'll see.

For Me: 
(3) pairs of real, full coverage underwear - They are brand new because I was a thong girl
(5) Always overnight thin pads
(1) bikini top - for birthing in the water. I am probably just going to be naked but I thought I would give myself an option
(1) skirt - It's part of my loose clothing to go home in, elastic waistband and everything
(1) sports bra - I need to get nursing bras but this will have to do until I get myself all the way together
(1) pair of flip flops
(1) tank/t-shirt
(1) headband (to put my hair up while I'm in the birthing pool)

For Chef:
(1) pair swimming trunks - he's getting in the birthing pool with me
(1) pair basketball shorts - he likes to be comfy
(2) t-shirts -
(1) pair of flip flops

Toiletries: in case we have an overnight stay and/or need to shower
Toothbrushes
Toothpaste
Mouthwash
Hemorrhoid pads
Lotion
Soap
deodorant

Food: because I'm greedy and they let you bring whatever you want
Coconut water
Gatorade
Granola Bars
Fresh and dried fruit
Chips and cookies (to keep Chef's energy up)


Miscellaneous:
A small cooler for the transport of my placenta.
 

Prenatal Visit #11 - 37 weeks at the Birth Center

I'm on the birth center list as officially "due." That's crazy right. This visit was the day after I met with the OB/GYN and got my clearance but I still had to go through the usual stuff (weight, protein and sugar in the urine) that we've always done even though I had it done the day before. This time I got to meet the last midwife that I had not yet met at the birth center. PHEW! If I'm not mistaken I'm on schedule to see her for the rest of my visits as well. This time I watched a video on postpartum stuff and handed over my birthplan. The midwife checked it over and everything was good and reasonable. Baby's heart rate was 145 beats per minute and she is still head down. When the midwife felt for the baby's position this week it was uncomfortable. I guess this is because she has officially run out of room to grow and squeezing her a little brings me discomfort. It wasn't anything serious though.

The highlight of this visit was when my midwife said to me, and I quote, "Evening primrose oil, or semen, in your vagina, every night. Your choice." To which I responded, "OK." I then asked when I would start being checked for dilation she said they like to do it when you're closer to 38 weeks because at this point it would be more uncomfortable than anything but she would check me if I wanted to. I told her I could wait. I was just curious. So, I'm getting checked for dilation and effacement at my 38 week visit.

Prenatal Visit #11 - 37 weeks with the OB/GYN

Guess who is full term?! Booyah! We made it. I was supposed to have this visit at 36 weeks but they didn't have any appointments available for birth center patients the week before. What happens is, this doctor schedules 2 days a week where he sees birth center patients. On Tuesdays, all the birth center patients get their 20 week ultrasounds and on Wednesdays, the birth center patients come in for their 36 week (in my case 37 week) clearance.  You don't actually get to meet the doctor until the last appointment though. I only had dealings with his ultrasound tech.

Here is where I would like to point out some of the biggest differences I saw between the birth center and the doctor's office. At the birth center, we essentially do everything by ourselves. I weigh myself and test my own urine for protein and sugar at every visit, and I did my own Group B Strep test. At the doctor's office there was someone to escort me to the bathroom with a cup with my last name on it. She instructed me to pee in it and give it back to her through the little passage door in the bathroom. I thought to myself, "I wonder what they are testing me for." It was for protein and sugar, and it came back negative. I was then escorted over to the scale where I was weighed. The whole time I was thinking to myself... man, he sure could eliminate her position and save some money if he did things the way the birth center does. It's a harsh thought but I'm just sayin. After that was over, I was walked into a room where I sat and waited. The upside is that I was thoroughly enjoying the music playing on the intercom system but no one likes to wait. So, another nurse came in and asked me some questions about how the pregnancy was going and she looked for the heartbeat with the Doppler. She failed, but once I showed her where it should be, she found it.  After she was done she said, "Ok, the doctor will be in to see you in a second." She flipped a switch on the wall and I waited...and waited... and waited. I heard a knock on the door and another nurse stepped in. This one had an iPad and was asking me family history medical questions. After I answered them she left and told me that the doctor would be coming right up. I waited and waited and he finally showed up. Generally speaking he is a really nice man that has a good repertoire with the midwives that own the birth center. He told me that I would only need to see him in case of an emergency to which I replied, "I hope I don't get to see you again." He then said, "I don't take that personally."

My Birth Plan

I, (whoever I am),  am preparing to give birth at the birth center. I have no room preference. Whatever room is available will be fine.

·         My support team includes my husband, Chef

·         We plan on staying home until labor is active for at least two hours.

·         I plan on wearing my own clothes.

·         I plan on inviting my mother,  and sister to the birth center AFTER the birth of my baby

·         I trust my body’s ability to birth my baby. I plan on a drug free birth.

During Labor I’d Like…

·         To bring my own food to the birth center including

o   coconut water, Gatorade, fruit, trail mix

·         Dimmed lights/mood lighting

·         The room as quiet as possible excluding music or sounds from sound machine

·         As much privacy as possible

·         As few interruptions as possible

·         My husband to film and/or take pictures

·         My husband to be present the entire time

·         The midwife provide lots of verbal encouragement, physical touch, and be present with me as much as possible

I’d Like fetal monitoring:

·         To be performed with a fetoscope/Doppler

For pain relief I’d like to use:

·         Massage, meditation, and other techniques suggested by the midwife

During delivery I would like to:

·         Birth in the birth pool

·         Use the Birthing from Within method of childbirth

·         Have my husband assist in the birth of our baby

As the baby is delivered, I would like to:

·         Push as directed

·         Use whatever methods my midwife deems necessary

Immediately after delivery, I would like:

·         The umbilical cord to be cut only after is stops pulsating

·          My partner to cut the umbilical cord

·         To take the placenta home after the birth (we will bring a cooler for transport)

After baby is born:

·         I wish my privacy to be protected, my guests will remain in the family room until after I have nursed the baby.

Baby’s medical exam and procedures:

·         We prefer no eye ointment

·         We prefer injectable Vitamin K

Third Trimester Pregnany Side Effects

Normally, I feel really good and on the whole have been feeling great during this entire pregnancy. Something new has crept into my life the past couple of weeks that I would like to share. I've been having some serious pregnancy related hot flashes. Seriously. They happen at night pretty frequently. I would wake up to go to the bathroom and be lying in a pool of my own sweat. They also happen at random times during the day where I would just break out in a sweat under my boobs and stain my shirt.

I have hemorrhoids! That's not an angry exclamation point so don't read it that way. I'm not yelling angrily about it. I discovered I have hemorrhoids one evening when I was in the shower. I didn't even know they were there. What is interesting though is that hemorrhoids (hereafter referred to as rhoids) are usually a product of constipation associated with pregnancy. I haven't been constipated or anything so I was wondering what would cause those little puppies to pop out. I researched it, of course, and found that the baby's growth putting extra pressure on your intestines can cause rhoids. Essentially they are swollen vericose veins in your anus that sometimes become too large and decide to plan an escape route. Mine are painless but most people's aren't. They can also be accompanied by bleeding and all that stuff. Fortunately that's not what I'm experiencing. I really didn't even know they were there. I had to verify my discovery by showing Chef and he was like, "Oh yea, I see it".  True love knows no limits.  I expect them to get worse after the baby is born just from the act of pushing her out but right now it's not a bother. No medication necessary.

Prenatal Visit #10 - Week 36

One week shy of full term and the first of my now weekly visits to the birth center, I was greeted by the smiling faces of the ladies at the front desk telling me they had a "surprise" for me today. I knew what that meant. Group B strep vaginal and anal swab..... FUN TIMES! This entire time I thought I would come in, they would strap me to some stirrups and get to swabbing. NOPE! I was instructed on how to do it myself. I think this is why I love the birth center. One swab, two holes, clean to dirty. A little around and slightly in the vagina, a little around and slightly in the anus and voila! Success. Not bad, I felt a lot more comfortable doing it myself I think. It probably wouldn't have been bad either way. My weight was up 3lbs this week putting me at a solid 26lbs gained and still no protein or sugar in my urine.

This week I watched a video on pain management techniques used in the birth center. It's good to know all of your options. My midwife came in and asked if I had my birth plan for them. *insert blank stare* She said, "You better have that to us by next week at the latest." She decided to quiz me on stuff that should be in my birth plan so she could write it in my chart. Eye ointment for the baby or no eye ointment? Vitamin K shot or three oral doses? I made up stuff as I went along. Now that my birth plan is done hopefully they will change all the lies I told them. My birth plan is pretty fluid since I don't know how I'll be feeling once I'm in labor. I'll share it in another post.

 Baby's heartbeat was between 140 and 150 beats per minute. We couldn't get an accurate reading because she had the hiccups, which happens 4 to 5 times a day these days. She's still head down and still very active. I keep hearing that you feel less movement in the third trimester. Not me.

I was also given a handout on what to start doing to prep my body for labor. I have to start a red raspberry leaf and evening primrose oil regimen. Red raspberry leaf is supposed to improve uterine tone. It is thought that it helps the uterus contract more efficiently to push the baby down and out and it is also supposed to help it return to its regular size after the birth of the baby. I am currently taking red raspberry leaf capsules.   The other option is to drink 3 really strong cups of red raspberry leaf tea per day. If I run out of capsules before the baby is born, I'll start drinking the tea. The capsules are ROUGH going down.  With the evening primrose oil I'm suppose to take 3, 1300mg capsules per day orally and 1-3 capsules per day vaginally.  This helps with the effacement and dilation of the cervix.  Since Chef has already been massaging my perineum, I just have him stick a few pills in there before bed time. Just remember if oil goes in, some oil comes out. I sleep on a towel. Just sayin.

My appointment with the back up medical doctor is at 37 weeks. I go to see him so that he can fill out paperwork for the birth center saying that this baby and I are fit to be at the birth center. I also have to meet him because in case of emergency (c-section or hospital transfer) he will be the doctor that performs the surgery and delivers my baby. Of course I'll let you know how that goes.

Baby Girl on the Move

Every time one of my friends catches me walking around they want to feel the baby move. Of course she never does when others want her to. So since she can't see me filming her, I caught some of her good acrobatics on video. So take that. This is what goes on with my belly all the time when no one else is paying attention. Here we are at 34 weeks.

Prenatal Visit #9 - 34 weeks

Chef got to come with me for this visit. We watched a video on hospital transfers, epidurals, and c-sections. I really didn't want to watch it because I already know that I need to be realistic about what could happen. It makes me sad to think about it, but I figure what needs to be done will be done, even if that includes being transferred to a hospital to ensure the safety of my baby.

We also had to check my iron levels again. WHOMP WHOMP. When they took blood for the glucose tolerance testing my iron came back at 10.6. The midwife pricked my finger to do an instant test and my iron came back at 10.4. I was floored (in a bad way). I looked at her like WTF is going on man, especially when I'm taking the most expensive supplement OF LIFE and have been sustaining myself on steak and collard greens. She calmed me down and said that this was very good. I think I mentioned before that I can't deliver at the birth center with an iron level of less than 10. She said that between weeks 28 and 32 your iron levels are expected to drop an entire point. So... in real life, my iron went up by .8.

I was also told by my midwife that she only expects me to make it another month. They check baby's position regularly now. She had to stick her hand in my underwear to find her head. That means the countdown is really on. Baby loves that head down position and she is sooooooo loooow. I am starting to feel pressure on my cervix. It doesn't hurt but it feels a little funny.

And because I haven't shared a real picture of me in a while... here's me and my belly at 34 weeks.

Pregnany Progression - I need to massage my what?!

DISCLAIMER: This post is pretty graphic and talks about fingers in vaginas and whatnot. Reader discretion is advised.


Apparently I'm a little late on this one, but starting at 34 weeks of pregnancy it is good to have you (or your partner) massage your perineum with something rich in Vitamin E. This is only important if you don't want to rip from front to back in case you have a large baby.  Essentially, this is stretching the space between the vagina and the anus now so it will be primed to do so once the baby decides to make its debut.

Chef has been gracious enough to do this for me every day for about 5 minutes. He calls it foreplay without the play. Our vehicle of choice is good old fashioned olive oil. So, I know you're wondering... how might one go about a perineal massage. Well, this is how Chef and I do it. *He has very large fingers so we start with one and work our way up to two.* He puts a good amount of olive oil on his index finger and inserts it into my vagina up to about his second knuckle. He then makes a "U" shape back and forth applying pressure around the sides and the bottom. Let me tell you... this does not feel great. The best way to describe it would be a slight stinging sensation. Feel the burn! It gave me the perfect opportunity to practice those breathing exercises and pain coping techniques I learned in my birthing class. I've done the research on it and women having their first child that practice perineal massage are less likely to tear than those who don't.  It doesn't matter whether you massage or not if you're having baby #2 or more. You can take my word for it, research it yourself or think I have really lost my mind, but when I don't have to get stitched up... don't be jealous. Either way I think it's worth a try. Based on how this "massage" feels, I can't possibly fathom how much pushing a baby's head out would hurt. Hopefully it would hurt little less now that I'm prepping for it.

Here's a little diagram on how it should be done if you're doing it yourself. I cant imagine doing it myself because my baby bump is in the way and it's like self inflicted pain. I would be so tense.

Friends Baby Shower

It's time to let you in on everything we got at the baby shower my friend threw for us at her lovely home. Chef was shocked that so many people came out. He said, "Wow, people really like you." Whatever that means. It was a couple friendly fiasco and Chef was his normal overexcited self. The baby shower was on Cinco de Mayo so we had margaritas, burritos and tacos. YUMMY! Once again I didn't realize how much stuff we got until I got home and laid everything out. This haul was full of registry items and I couldn't have been more excited. Take a looksee!

We got everything from bottles, bottle warmer, sterilizer, nursing pads, baby monitor, TONS of cloth diapers and inserts, cloth diaper liners, cloth diaper detergent, enough stuff to bathe baby for the next 3 years of her life, teethers, feeders, a doorway jumper, gift cards, clothes (including another bathing suit), pacifiers, blankets, burp cloths, wash cloths, hats, mittens, socks, and probably more stuff that I'm forgetting. Thank goodness my mom told me not to go shopping for anything until after this baby shower. The things we still need to get are small things like snappis for the cloth diapers and a diaper pail to put the dirty cloth diapers in.

All I know is these thank you cards better hurry up and arrive in the mail because I have a lot of writing to do.

I took pictures of the stuff we got from the family baby shower with my real camera (not iPad camera) as I was cleaning up the nursery so although a little out of order, those pics are coming.

Placenta Encapuslation and Things of that Nature

Before I became educated when I heard people say or ask, "Do you want to eat your placenta?" I thought that meant in its raw, bloody, fresh from the uterus form.  At my last prenatal visit, the handout I received was on placenta encapsulation. What happens is you set up with someone before you deliver to come and pick up your placenta from the birth center and they will deliver your capsules to you within the next few days. It's a dried formulation that is still packed with all of the hormones you lost during delivery. I immediately became intrigued. The benefits of doing this are ridiculous. Since no two people are alike the hormonal composition of your placenta is unique to you. On top of that, why pay money for prescription hormones to combat postpartum depression when everything you need is right there.  Postpartum depression is a result from the drastic change in the drop in hormones once you have the baby. When you think about it... all mammals eat the sacs surrounding their offspring. That can't just be an evolutionary accident.

The benefits of placenta encapsulation or ingesting your placenta in any form include but are not limited to:

• Positive mood
• Increase in energy
• Counters depression symptoms
• Enhances breast milk production
• Facilitates postpartum recovery
• Aids in hormonal balance
• Facilitates healthy uterine muscle tone

There are three or so people in my area that provide this service for around $200.

What does Chef think about this?  He thinks we should do it ourselves, but instead of encapsulating it to take like a vitamin, he thinks we should leave it as a powder so that it can be more versatile. I can add a tablespoon to smoothies or sprinkle it over my food. This would also eliminate wasting some trying to get it in those small capsules. So after the birth our baby girl I will have a jar of placenta powder in my fridge. There are many "recipes" on how to do this on your own by the people that do it for other women. It is a little labor intensive which is what scares me the most. I know that I probably won't be up to doing this 2 days after the baby is born but that is why Chef said this is a project he would love to get involved in.  I know I've totally hippied out but it doesn't make me seem nearly as crazy when my husband backs me 100%.

Prenatal Visit #8 - 32 weeks

Chef skipped out on this visit because it was on his day off, and he had to prepare a surprise for me for our last Birthing from Within class.  At this visit I accidentally watched way too many videos. I was just supposed to watch a 15 minute video on pain coping during labor but I watched the videos that were planned for my next visit as well. Whoopsie. This time around my midwife was the owner of the birth center and I haven't seen her since my orientation. She's awesome.  She told me that my iron levels would be checked again at my 34 week visit as it takes a little while for the Floradix to work its magic. Then she wanted to check on baby. Her heartbeat was 148, but as usual it took a while to find because she wouldn't keep still. The midwife said, "I was going to ask you if you had an active baby but there's no need for that now."

The handout I was given at this visit was on placenta encapsulation.... say what? There is a post to follow this one on my thoughts about that.

 I've finally started to gain the weight that baby needs for her fat accumulation. Since my last visit I had gained a whole pound putting me at about 20lbs gained so far. With 8 weeks to go I figure I might be in the 30-35lb weight gain range and I'm not upset about it. I'm literally all belly right now and I'll take it.

Birthing Classes

With all of the different birthing classes available to those that want a natural birth, I found it very difficult to decide which one would be best for Chef and me. Ultimately, based on scheduling, we chose 'Birthing from Within'. I absolutely love it. I don't want to give away all the goodies about the course but you can check it out Here!  Our course mentor is also a Doula who has delivered both her children naturally at the birth center. Our class has only three couples, Chef and I included. It's a very intimate environment where we get to share our fears and funny stories. I would have to say that I've learned a lot about myself and what I want from Chef during the laboring part of this journey.  This class is also focused on our birthing partners (Chef) and gives them the heads up on what to look for during certain stages of labor because we most likely will not be able to tell them what we want. We do a lot of practice exercises: finding what breathing pattern works for us, and partner support/touching during breathing. We made birth art and do all sorts of other cool exercises. We have homework every week and I'm preparing a special surprise for Chef for our last class together. I really like the other couples too. They are down to earth and we laugh at each other a lot.

Here is a picture from our final day of class. We walked our birth laborynth outside of the birth center. Ironically enough, there was someone giving birth inside the center as we were walking outside. We did happen to hear one moan from the underworld as the baby made it's way out.

Pregnant ladies gestation from left (me) to right: 32 weeks, 37 weeks, 24 weeks

I promised myself I would keep up with these ladies because we are very similar minded in the way we want to approach a natural labor and birth.

Cravings...revisited

I broke down and made Chef buy me some popsicles. They most certainly hit the spot. In addition to that, I can't seem to get enough watermelon. I wouldn't consider the watermelon a craving, it's just a phase I go through every year when they're in season. I actually planted a garden this year that consists of mostly melons... watermelon and cantaloupe.  Since I'm on the subject of my garden, I would like to share with you what I dug up...all by my self in the hot heat of the south on a Sunday afternoon. There are cucumbers, eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, poblano peppers, melons and strawberries

Chef's birthday was the day before our baby shower and since I didn't want to steal the spotlight I made sure I got him something extra special... a GREENHOUSE!

Family Baby Shower

The day after Chef's birthday we had our first baby shower. This was the first shower I had ever gone to in general so I didn't know what to expect. My sister was the hostess and it was at my parents' house. Chef's family drove a really long way to get there and I was so glad they came to support him. The games weren't cheesy and I didn't have to wear a sash or bows on my head. I am eternally grateful. My sister did make buttons that said, "Dad", "Yaya" (for my mom who swears she is too cool to be called grandma or granny), "Grandpops", and "Grandma" (for Chef's mom) to wear so people would know who they were to the baby. My sister even had a button for herself that said "Auntie".  There were also all different sized onsies that everyone decorated for the baby so now when she's chillin' out at home she has some interesting onsies decorated by her family.

Chef was off his rocker that afternoon. Maybe it was the lack of sleep, but he was way more excited than I was, so that was hilarious. When it came time to open gifts he couldn't contain himself. I'll dedicate another post to highlight what we got from the baby shower (baby shower haul) but here are the hilarious highlights from what went on at my parents' house.

He didn't know what to do with himself.

Chef got really excited over tiny clothes.

It's a mini bathing suit!

Cutting the baby cake together

Prenatal Visit #7 - 30 weeks

Chef came with me to this visit. He was tired though and fell asleep through one of the breastfeeding videos. I didn't really care. He doesn't have breasts. At this visit I was told that my glucose level came back perfect at 109 for the gestational diabetes testing BUT my iron levels were a staggering 10.6. That's considered low/ borderline anemic. I'm not in any real danger but my midwife reminded me that I can't deliver at the birth center with iron levels lower than 10 so I needed to start a supplement that would take care of that problem.  I immediately told her that the reason why I stopped taking vitamins with iron in them was because they  made me sick. She gave me a sample of an all natural liquid iron supplement that shouldn't upset my stomach or make me constipated. It's called Floradix Iron + Herbs.

This particular formulation of iron has the highest absorption rate of any others out there. I have to take 10mL (about 2 tablespoons) twice a day 30 min before meals. You can't take an iron supplement with dairy because the calcium would bind up all the iron and there would be none left for you to absorb. Iron is best taken with citrus to aid in absorption. I've been taking it faithfully for a good while now, usually once before dinner and once before bedtime snack and I haven't noticed any adverse effects from it. I think it's delicious. It is made up of mostly fruit juices so it tastes like a fruit juice concentrate. The only downside is that it's pretty pricy.  I got it from our local health food store, Earth Fare. They are usually more reasonably priced than Whole Foods. For the 8.5oz bottle shown in the picture I paid $26.99. That bottle is only going to last me 17.5 days. They do carry the larger 17oz bottle for $47.99 but the sticker shock told me to try and see if I can find it cheaper on the interwebs. This iron supplement also comes in a vegan formula that doesn't contain gluten.

Enough about my blood issues, let's talk about the baby part of the visit. My midwife asked what birthing class Chef and I were taking, what pediatrician we decided to go with and if we've started my birth plan. We have started birthing classes, I have a consult scheduled with a pediatrician and making the birth plan is on my to do list. We're right on track with what we need to be thinking about for how far along we are in this thing.  Then it was time to find baby and listen to her heartbeat. She found the heartbeat immediately and said, I guess you have a pretty active baby. I replied with, "I'm surprised she's not moving around right now." Her heartbeat was the loudest and strongest it had ever been. Then she started moving around like normal. It cracked the midwife up.  I asked the midwife with my stomach protruding from some areas from time to time, how could I tell what body part was what. She put a firm hand on my abdomen and began to feel around. She asked where I normally feel the most movement, which at this time is at the top right side of my abdomen. She told me that at the very top is the baby's butt. Her head is down and her legs are off to the right side. Now when she flips, I know what position she is in. My midwife also gave me props... She said, "Good job on not gaining a million pounds. People think you're eating for two when really it's more like one and a lima bean."  At 30 weeks in, I'm up 18 pounds. I guess that's good, I really wouldn't know. My mom scared me to death when she told me she gained 70 pounds when she was pregnant with me so.. in my head, I'm a WINNER.

Prenatal VIsit #6 Glucose Tolerance Testing- 29 weeks

Sorry this post is longer than usual... a lot went on at this visit.

I was supposed to have this visit at 28 weeks but we've been a week off since my anatomy scan at 21 weeks. At this appointment I was scheduled to have my gestational diabetes screening or the glucose tolerance test. I had to drink 50 grams of glucose, wait an hour and then have my blood drawn.  The glucola drink tasted like the syrup they make orange Fanta from. Really, really sweet and flat.  It actually made me a little light headed. Luckily I had to watch some videos so I got to put my feet up and let the spinning room stop on its own. At the birth center, if I were to have gestational diabetes I would still be able to deliver there, they would have to just take special care of me during labor. One hour after drinking the sweetest drink on earth they would like for your blood sugar to be less than 135.  If it was higher than that it doesn't necessarily mean you have gestational diabetes. You would have to come back for a longer 3 hour test where they would give you 100 grams of glucose and test your blood four times in that  period of time. Then if 2 of your results come back abnormal, you officially have gestational diabetes. The birth center has a "no news is good news" policy so when I hadn't heard from them in a couple of days I assumed everything was fine. I found out at my next appointment that my blood glucose level came back at 109. BOOM!

Chef wasn't with me at this visit because I had to wait an hour and I scheduled it while he was at work. I noticed a change in the theme of the videos I had been watching. This set of videos focused on the baby's care during the first six weeks of life. That means I'm nearing the end y'all. I really appreciate watching these videos because the focus is to clue you in on the differences between breast fed and formula fed baby poop and things like that, so you don't think anything is wrong with your baby for no reason. In one of the videos they did say that if you are "darker complected" your baby may come out lighter than you and your partner but, "The baby will get more pigment over time." Hilarious. There was a segment on care of a newly circumcised penis, which thankfully I don't have to worry about this time around. There was a good portion of one of the videos devoted to how draining caring for a newborn would be and that if you get really frustrated with the crying baby to put it in it's crib and walk away. You hear about so many bad things happening to babies at the hands of their parents who aren't emotionally capable of dealing with such a dramatic life change.  I think it's always good to let parents-to-be know that it will be stressful, you will get frustrated, and it's okay and normal.

Kick Counts - I was also instructed to start charting fetal movement at this appointment. I have a little chart to track how long it takes the baby to move (kick, twist, or turn) 10 times. I'm not doing it. Why? Because, she kicks 10 times in like 15 seconds. They say if I don't feel her move 10 times in an hour to drink juice and lie down and she should start to move. If not, there is cause for concern. If her movement decreases I will start to keep track but right now it's not necessary. I had a student midwife for this visit and as she searched for baby's heartbeat she got kicked 3 times and said, "You shouldn't have a problem with that fetal movement chart." Baby's heartbeat came back a strong 140 beats per minute.

The receptionist realized that I was a week off with all my appointments so she decided we needed to get back on track. My  next appointment would be at 30 weeks, as in the following week, and now instead of going to see my midwives every month I will get to see them every two weeks until I'm 36 weeks. From then on it will be every week. 

Welcome to the Third Trimester

This is Chef and me at my parents' house getting some relaxation in on his final weekend off from work.  My parents live an hour and a half away from us so when Chef gets home on Friday afternoons, it's no big deal for us to take a quick ride up the road with the dogs to stay until Sunday. I still teach Zumba on Sunday afternoons so I have to be back by then. Chef calls my parents' house his "summer home". He sits in the recliner and watches the big screen in the living room all weekend long. We truly get to relax there and have my parents take care of us.

 On this particular trip we treated my parents and my sister to dinner because they always go above and beyond making sure we're comfortable. We wanted to do something nice for them for a change. My mom and I also did some menu planning for the baby shower at her house which is a few short weeks away.  Oh, let's talk about what's on the menu. I'm so excited!

I am a few days shy of 28 weeks here.

• Mini sandwiches
• Salad
• Deviled eggs
• Meatballs
• Buffalo wings (bbq, hot, regular)
• Assorted fruit and dip
• Assorted veggies and dip
• Sweet tea (southern style)
• 7up punch
• Pie
• Cake for the baby 

She's expecting quite a few people so she wanted to have a lot of options.

Baby Buys!!!!

Yet another baby buy post where I didn't buy anything I post about. So, I still teach Zumba and my Zumba ladies love me and this baby apparently. I have two students that are best friends. They are older and one only lives here from January to April, for the rest of the year she's in Maine. They are spicy, mouthy and hilarious. Last Sunday they bought me a bag of stuff. I don't expect anything from anyone...ever but this just warmed my heart. There were two complete outfits and a little onsie in it. You guys know how I'm against the stereotypical pink girl clothes so this gift came with a warning. One of the ladies said, "We know how you feel, peach looks really good on YOU but that color is so last season. Hot pink is in this season." It's good to know that at their age, they like to be on the cutting edge of fashion. So here is my baby girl's hot pink outfit. To be completely honest...I LOVE it.

The dress is also a onesie. LOVES IT!

The design on the ruffle dress is all hot pink butterflies. And who can say 'no' to a hot pink baby cardigan. The size is 6 months which I greatly appreciate because I'm told babies grow so fast. I'll make sure she gets to wear this. I really do love it.

They also bought her this little onesie. Chef really likes this one of course.

Kick the Remote

Now that the baby is getting bigger and her kicks are a lot stronger, I like to play games with her. I like to call this one, "Kick the Remote Off of Mommy's Belly". It happened on accident one day. I was lying down being lazy and watching TiVo and rested the remote on my belly. I guess she didn't like that to much because it started moving like crazy. So far, I'm winning because she hasn't kicked it off yet, but she sure tries. In this video, she refused to kick the remote but you can see my belly begin to morph around the 20sec mark.

Update: This video was taken at the beginning of my 6th month.

Cravings...

I could eat these all day every day right now. Maybe it has something to do with the warm weather that makes it feel like full blown summer outside. I was at my parent's house when it hit me.
"Mom, I want a popsicle." My mom said, "I don't have any popsicles." My response: "What is your problem, you always have popsicles when it's hot outside." <---That is a very true statement by the way. She usually has a stash of them somewhere. I was so disappointed it wasn't even funny. I even pouted for a little while. I went popsicle-less but I eventually got over it.


I thought it was a fleeting craving when it hit me again while Chef and I were out and about.  Being the good husband he is he took me straight to the grocery store to get what I wanted. As I was perusing through the frozen food aisle, I quickly realized that there exists something I wanted ten times more than popsicles: ITALIAN ICE.  Chef bought me a box and I limited myself to 2 a day.

...and time goes on

I just browsed through my blog and realized the last picture I posted of myself was when I was 16 weeks along. Here I am at 20 and 24 weeks. Believe it or not, some people still couldn't tell I was with child.

20 Weeks

  I promise to try and get better quality pictures. My 24 week picture was taken with Chef's fancy camera and the 20 week pic was taken with my sister's cell phone. I usually have my iPad handy so I usually just snap pics on that. Those pictures aren't the best but I post them anyway. I'll try to snag Chef's camera or charge my own point and shoot digital camera for finished nursery pics and things of that nature.

24 weeks with the puppies - Check out my rack! OWWWW!

Project Nursery - Day 2

Assembling baby furniture:
I don't know if I mentioned it or not but Chef and I have had the crib, changing table and glider for quite some time. The glider was boxed up in the nursery and happened to be what I rested everything on when I was doing stuff in there. The crib and changing table were sitting in the garage in their boxes for MONTHS. Since the crib was too heavy for me to drag from the garage to the nursery I picked up the changing table and decided that I would start with that to begin putting stuff together. The crib and changing table we have match and if I am not mistaken it is the Graco 4 in 1 convertible crib, in espresso. It is a really pretty dark wood and looks really nice against our light carpet and "applesauce cake" walls. It took me 30 min to put the changing table together and here is the finished product.

We plan on buying those canvas storage bins in the green color that matches the baby bedding set we got to put on those shelves underneath the changing table. Since we plan on cloth diapering, all of her cloth diapers, wipes, and bath stuff can go in the baskets.

We still have the chalkboard wall to paint so nothing is in it's right place. The changing table will go on the chalkboard wall.

P.S. Can anyone tell me why the changing table pad has a strap that buckles the pad down in the middle of the table?

Project Nursery - Day 1

 I was supposed to post this blog on Feb 9. I guess I got sidetracked. Here are the Applesauce Cake walls in progress. That would explain why is looks streaky. It's not dry. Ten extra points if you can see my sister playing on her cellphone while we were on a painting break.

I did have to come back the next day and do a second coat. My sister is so conservative when she paints.

Stroller?

Check this out! Anyone that wants to buy it for me feel free. It's almost $900 and completely impractical.

Prenatal Appointment #5 - 25 weeks

At this visit Chef and I watched a video on the signs of preterm labor and what to do if I am experiencing these symptoms. The issue here is that if I were to go into labor early, I would have to transfer all of my care to a hospital. Birth centers are for full term, healthy babies and pregnancies only. The video was very informative and gave me some insight into what pains and feelings are normal and what I should call the birth center for.
The most awesome part of this visit was that I got to see the midwife that did my 12 week appointment. She walked in the room and was sporting quite a large baby bump. I told her that that wasn't there the last time I saw her. She said it was but it just wasn't noticeable. She was 36 weeks along when I came in, so the last time I saw her she was a solid 6 months and not showing. She looked great and I told her that. She mentioned that at my next visit I would have to take the glucose screening test to determine if I have gestational diabetes. She mentioned that that appointment would be a little longer since I have to wait an hour to see if my body clears out the sugar dose they give me. We also discussed birthing classes of which Chef and I decided to take "Birthing from Within". I'm pretty pumped about it.  I didn't have any other questions for her, so the quest was now set to finding baby's heartbeat on the doppler.  She measured how far my uterus has grown into my abdomen, said I'm right on track and then goo'd up my belly. She put the probe on but all you could hear was my ridiculously slow heartbeat. She kept moving the probe around and she would find baby's heartbeat for a second and then it would go away. Meanwhile, I'm cracking up because the baby is moving around like MAD. She must really hate probes. The midwife even commented that she could feel her moving around but she won't keep still long enough to catch the heartbeat. She definitely runs from probes. I don't know what it is but it's hilarious to me. Somewhere in the middle of her kicking the probe and running from it we got a strong heartbeat at 145 beats per min. We set up our next appointment  for when I'll be 29 weeks but I'll probably be going to that one alone due to Chef's new schedule and me having to sit and wait an hour.

Exercising in Pregnancy

People look at me and assume I've gained a lot of weight. Um, not really. I've still only gained 10lbs and I'm at the end of my second trimester. My body seemed to have re-distribute the weight that I have to make it useful. I'm not mad. My mother told me yesterday that her biggest fear for me was that after I had spent all that time losing weight that I would gain it back and get in a rut. She said she is very pleased that I am still exercising and seem to be gaining only what the baby needs.
Before I found out I was pregnant, I was teaching three Zumba classes a week and taking three additional classes. Because I began to feel like CRAPOLA in those first couple of months I had to cut down on taking my other classes but I still taught three a week. Since then I had to drop the class I taught at the high school but I've been able to pick up teaching an Aqua Zumba class right after my regular Zumba class on Sundays and I've been co-teaching an Aqua Zumba class on Monday evenings and I'm starting to take two of my three Zumba classes again. What's that? I'm back up to six classes a week. Teaching Aqua Zumba is like taking pilates in a sauna. It's rough but so rewarding.

Baby Buys

Now introducing a new label - Baby Buys

This will just be the random stuff I pick up along the way for the baby before she gets here. I'm determined not to buy too much stuff because 1) I know she'll grow out of them before I know it and 2) that's what baby showers are for.

Confession: I didn't buy the Zumba onesie. My Zumba mentor did. The front says, "Busy..." and this is the back. I think it's the cutest thing ever. I think it's a 6-9 month onesie but like all Zumba clothes, it's cut pretty small.







I picked up this little gem from Babies R' Us the other day when I went to return my Snoogle cover. We bought the cover thinking that it didn't come with one but it did, it was just white. So I returned it and got that $25 back and decided to spend $7 of it on this cute little thing.  It's a Koala Baby onesie in 0-3 months.  I love the idea of having my baby girl in cute, sleeveless onesies and nothing else for the first 3-4 months of her life since it will feel like hell in the south. I'm just grateful I get to pop her out at the start of all the harsh weather. I would hate to be pregnant during a summer here. I'm a hippie and I couldn't resist the crochet butterfly.

Along Came Snoogle

This is yet another pregnancy buy that I didn't buy for myself. Chef bought this one for me. He had been concerned about my sleep habits since he's been out of town and realized my body pillow wasn't cutting the mustard. Firstly, I'm six feet tall. Most people can lay their heads on body pillows and keep it between their knees at the same time. I can't. Secondly, my body pillow has deflated on me. I now fold it in half to get three quarters of the fluff it used to have, and it didn't take that long for it to get flat either. So along comes Snoogle. Snoogle comes with a hefty price tag for a pillow but I think it is well worth it. The first night I slept with my snoogle was the first night in over two months that I had continuous sleep (not counting potty breaks). I apparently tossed in my sleep with Snoogle too. I think I started with it along my front side but when I woke up, I was on my back with one Snoogle curl behind my head and the other wrapped around my left leg. The long part of it was along the left side of my body.  It was an amazing sleep. Yes it is expensive but holy crap is it worth it! It supports my back really well and it is CRAZY fluffy and supportive. I don't see this getting flat any time soon. 

A Blending of the Day's Events

Almost everything in this dream came about from a conversations or events that happened earlier in the day with different people.

Situation 1: I take the park and ride bus most mornings on my way to work now that I'm no longer nauseous. I usually take the 6:49am bus to work and our bus driver is usually the same. Every morning she greets me with, "Good Morning Ms. Zumba" because I'm the only one in fluorescent clothing and vibram five fingers that early in the morning.

Situation 2: I was discussing with my Zumba students how far along I was in my pregnancy when one of them told me that a Zumba instructor friend of mine was due to have her little girl that day. I knew her due date was approaching but didn't know it was that particular day.

Situation 3: I usually don't talk to my sister everyday. I was hanging out in the mall in one of her favorite type of stores and decided to give her a call so I could ask the sales people if they had what she liked in stock. She didn't answer the phone when I called so I left.

Situation 4: On the way from our delicious dinner, Chef and I were discussing in the car how different would it be to drive a stick shift in different car makes. I told him that they say every car is different, so I would assume not only is every make different, but every model might drive differently as well.

On to this wacked out dream.

My sister was pregnant. I know right... ridiculous right out the gate. Apparently she wasn't due before me but she wanted to have her baby before me so she broke her own water with a stick. (She told me over the phone, that would have been too graphic for a dream). I had to take the bus to get to her house. I was on the bus and my bus driver gave me her usual greeting, except it was night time. I got off the bus a few miles from where my sister was but I left my bags on the bus. I was all kinds of angry but I had to decide whether to wait for the next bus to come around or walk the couple of miles to meet my sister.  I figured it would take at least 30 min for the next bus to show up so I would try and walk. As I'm walking a zip line appeared out of the blue. I grabbed hold and was ready to take a ride through the trees of a suburban neighborhood. I couldn't get enough speed on my zip line and then I realized that it was a stick shift. I had to shift gears on my zip line to go faster. I remember yelling, I'll never make it there in time because I can't drive a stick shift. My zip line was moving sooooo slow. I got tired of the struggle and frustration and woke myself up.

Anatomy Scan and Gender Reveal - Week 21

This particular blog is accompanied with a pregnancy dream because I had a silly dream the night before Chef and I went in to check on our little nugget.

Doctor's Office Presents
So Chef and I went in for our anatomy scan and gender reveal at the Drs. office. This was the first time we've been to an actual doctor for the pregnancy and didn't know what to expect. We went in for our scan and they looked at the baby and did all of the appropriate measurements, told us baby looked okay and we got some pictures. I asked the ultrasound tech, "So is it a boy or a girl?" She said, "We don't tell our patients during the visit. You'll be handed a box for you to open once you get outside." I thought that was weird but I don't question things in my dreams, I just go with the flow. Chef and I were handed this huge wrapped box that had a blue and pink wrapping paper all over it. We opened the box and helium filled balloons came out with "It's A Girl!" written all over them....then I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep.


Before I reveal the sex of the baby I'll let you know how the anatomy scan went at the doctor's office. Since I'm not a normal patient of this doctor they  needed to get me in the system. They  needed my insurance card and all that crap. That took a little bit of time because I don't carry my insurance info on me at all times. The receptionist suggested that I just pay it all up front and I looked at her like she was crazy. Nice trap, but I'm not falling for it. I told her that the birth center had all of my insurance info on file and to get them to fax it over. It worked! Now that I was "in" they took my picture (I have to come back at 37 weeks) and we went in the back for our scan.  Warm goobledy-goop on my belly and we went searching for baby. We hadn't seen the baby since our first scan at 9 weeks so I was interested to see how much growth had occurred. The tech measured babies abdomen, head, leg length and looked for internal organs. The ultrasound tech made sure to tell me while she was measuring the baby's legs that they were long. She said, "Whoa, this baby is gonna be tall like momma." Based on the measurements she could even estimate how much the baby weighs. She also pulled out a little doll that is the size of my baby at this stage to show me how it was positioned in my uterus. Baby was head down on the left side and legs up towards my belly button on the right. It makes a lot of sense based on the movement I had been feeling. Baby had been head butting me in the bladder making me feel like I have to pee or am peeing on myself.  I like the tech, she was very engaging and asked us about the names we had chosen so far and what we predict the baby will be and everything. She finished up all the measurements and went looking for genitalia.  I saw little legs on the screen wiggling back and forth and the tech said, "It looks like you're having a little girl! Here are her labias." Stop the presses. These ultrasound machines are getting way too detailed. She labeled my daughter's girl parts and I refuse to show anyone that picture. She tried to get some good pictures of the baby for us but since the baby was facing the probe, I don't have any of those really nice profile pictures. Just a face forward picture where you can see her eye sockets. It's very alienesque. My weird dream the night before the scan was right, Chef and I are having a little girl.

Pregnancy Dreams

I wanted to start a label to talk about all of the crazy pregnancy dreams I have. I think looking back on them would be hilarious. This first pregnancy dream blog is a compilation of the dreams I've had so far and what I could remember from them. I'll try to blog about them the day after from now on.

The Talking Animals
I live in the south and we have reptiles.  The lizards and skinks like to come and sun themselves on our screened in porch. They must like the breeze. In this dream, my mom came to visit to help Chef and I replace our fence in our back yard. Everything was going well until I saw a skink sitting on a portion of the fence my mom was working on. I told my mom about it and she said it couldn't move because it's legs were tied together on top of its back. So my mom took the time and untied the leg knots and waited for the blood to start pumping back in. The skinks legs re-inflated, he stood up, thanked my mom and ran away.
Also on this day for some reason there was a puddle of mud in my backyard and the dogs were running around chasing each other. Gigi, our Bichon Frise ran up to the mud puddle looking like she wanted to jump in. I yelled "Gigi, you better not jump in that mud!" She looked back at me and jumped in the puddle and rolled around. I kept yelling at her, "You are not coming back in my house like that Gigi. I can't believe you didn't listen to me." Gigi stood up on her hind legs and said, "I'm sorry mom, I'll go rinse myself off." She walked over (still on her hind legs) to the water hose turned it on and rinsed herself off.   This is when I woke myself up.

Caterpillar Baby
All the hype has been getting guesses as to whether we're having a boy or a girl and that somehow translated into a dream. I could never wait to find out the sex of the baby until after it was born but that happened in this dream.  I was in a delivery room in a hospital and had just given birth to the baby. We asked the doctors what it was and they said they couldn't tell. Chef and I were like, "What do you mean? Penis or no penis?" The doctors made us look for ourselves. Our newborn was half baby, half caterpillar. You know, sort of like a mermaid but the bottom was caterpillar. Apparently it would hatch and then we would know if it was a boy or girl for sure. Well this angered Chef and he decided to take action. As we were packing up to bring our caterpillar baby home, he was enraged at how this wasn't noticed earlier and so he decided to get a little revenge on the hospital. As we were leaving he grabbed the $500 rental breast pump that belonged to the hospital and started running down the hallway. All of the doctors and nurses started to chase him while I'm in this wheelchair holding my caterpillar baby. I had enough of the craziness and decided to wake myself up.

Snake Bite
Ok, this dream had me depressed and in a state of uncontrollable sadness. I really hope I don't cry while I'm typing this. In this dream I lived in a hybrid house of my parent's backyard but my house. It was strange. My parents don't have a fence in their back yard because they live in the middle of nowhere and our dogs and their dog don't go far when we let them out to use the bathroom. Anyway I let my 2 doggies outside to run and play but in the distance I noticed a huge cobra looking snake. The snake was across the street, a good ways away from where we were so I called the dogs in the house to get out of danger. The snake saw my dogs running and decided it wanted them. The snake jumped across the street. Literally jumped. No slithering or anything, it jumped from one side of the street to the other and chased my dogs. Gigi ran on to my screened in porch and she was fine but the snake caught and bit Sincere and by the time Sincere got into the house he collapsed on the floor and started twitching. He died from the snake bite. I was crying hysterically but for some reason I could not wake myself up from this dream. I guess I had to live out that raw emotion.