Ever since I knew what an epidural was, I have decided it was not something I wanted. Now that I am older and wiser, I recognize that it may be unavoidable at some point, but I still do not want one. My mother birthed all eight of her babies (yes, I come from a large family) naturally. She was one tough woman. Her first labor was definitely the worst. She was in labor at the hospital for around seventeen hours and was diagnosed with preeclampsia, but still labored naturally and successfully gave birth to my oldest sister. (And that was in 1979--well before natural births were common.)
I knew as I got pregnant that I would have to find a technique that worked with me. There are not too many average American women that can go into labor and deliver without painkillers or having been taught a birthing technique. I looked up Lamaze breathing because that is what my mother did. I was not terribly excited about what I read. The Bradley method sounded interesting, but for some reason, it did not click with me. Finally I found HypnoBirthing and enjoyed what I read. It took me a while to find a class that was relatively close to where I live. Finally, when I was at my December appointment with my midwife, she suggested a name that was in my area. I signed up for the five week class and we got started.
The instructor is a wonderful lady who could talk for hours about anything and everything. She is a pool of birthing wisdom. She has stories for everything. I have been to three of the five classes and am extremely glad that I can attend any of her future classes for free because I would love to learn everything again before baby girl comes. (Husband had to miss yesterday's class because he was not feeling well at all, so we will probably at least attend a repeat of that class.) The first class was all about what HypnoBirthing is and what we would get out of this class. The second class contained information about the scripts and hypnosis. Yesterday's class was all about the science of birth and the best way to get through the process. I am excited to see what the last two classes hold.
Husband and I have been practicing going into the deep relaxation. I fall asleep somewhat frequently because we are only home together right before I go to sleep.
I cannot wait to become more adept at the whole process and to see how it works with my labor and delivery.
29 January, 2017
Thirty Weeks, Four Days
Time for an update on our baby girl.
I recognize that I have been scarce around this blog. The reason has nothing to do with the pregnancy. I could not hope for a better pregnancy at this point. I have been absent because Husband has been going through some medical poking and prodding through the last week. Its climax arrives tomorrow (on my birthday!) when he receives an MRI to ascertain if his thyroid cancer has come back. He is determined that it is back. I am still trying to stay optimistic that maybe something else is wrong, but in my speech, I frequently refer to the cancer as being back.
Sigh.
His cancer was not supposed to come back.
He started the initial visits with a new endocrinologist in December and the tests started then. The worst part of the latest round of tests is the low iodine diet he gets to be on. Traditionally, patients are only required to be on this diet for two weeks. The doctor's office was a little slow in scheduling the MRI and pulling everything together. By the time tomorrow comes and goes, he will have been on the diet for twenty-four days. This diet would not be so terrible for a day or two, but twenty-four days of eating this diet is insanity. He is already a vegetarian, but with this diet, he has to take all dairy and eggs (particularly egg yolks) out. He cannot eat anything with sea salt in it. Because you cannot trust many pre-made foods, he has had to make every component of his meals for over three weeks. There is no convenience of opening a can of beans. He has to boil his own. We are both glad that it is over tomorrow.
Onto baby news.
We had our last appointment on January 17. It was also my gestational diabetes testing. I did not mind the syrup-like drink that I had to chug. I would not go out of my way to drink it, but I think some people are way too dramatic about it. I ate beef and eggs for my high protein breakfast. I am always the best blood giver. Thanks to the heparin I administer twice daily, the blood flows like crazy.
Next we had the ultrasound. I had convinced myself that the cyst was gone, but there was always a tiny part of my brain that mocked me for thinking this and tried to convince me that the cyst would be there along with a myriad of other problems.
The cyst was indeed gone and at 28 weeks, 6 days, baby girl weighed three pounds, four ounces. That would be the 67th percentile. We received one picture (probably the last one until she makes her grand debut) and were sent to meet with a new doctor.
Recap: We did not care for the original doctor at the clinic we signed up with. He was very impersonal and treated us like a number on a list. Husband disliked the doctor within the first minute or two of the original appointment. We liked the midwife we saw last month, but she suggested we also see a doctor because of my possible complications during childbirth. Husband told me that if we did not like this doctor, we were leaving.
The new doctor came in and I think we were both calmed immediately. He is a slightly reserved fellow, but extremely knowledgeable and he treated us with concern. Our appointment turned out to be nearly half an hour because we continually bombarded him with questions. He answered each one perfectly and thoroughly. He apologized at one point because he was going extremely in-depth. No apology needed for this scientifically minded couple. We both love the facts.
We determined that I will not have to be induced early (hallelujah), and he thought the rest of the pregnancy should be just fine for me. They do not want me to go too far over my due date because of the disease I am borderline for having, but he said I would be fine going into labor on my own. He also described this disease that I may or may not have and talked to us about some testing that could be done after the baby comes to hopefully be able to tell one way or another if I have it.
We will be staying with our current clinic. At our next appointment, I will make sure to tell the front office that we will be under their midwife's care and (if they need to know), we are also consulting with the new doctor.
Baby girl's due date is just over nine weeks away. I cannot believe how close it is getting. Husband has taken on a new hobby of crocheting and he has made a couple hats for her along with a bunny and T-Rex. He is nearing the end of crocheting a fox for her also. There are several more projects he has lined up to make and he even bought rattle inserts to put inside some of his future creations.
I have decided to turn half my craft room into a nursery so last week I moved the furniture and started going through all my stuff. Even though baby girl will be sleeping in our room for the first six months or so, we want a place to keep all her stuff and to have a changing pad. I also do not want to nurse her in bed and because there is no room for extra furniture in our bedroom (I am not even sure how we will fit her crib), I will put the glide rocker I inherited from my mother in that room as well.
I recognize that I have been scarce around this blog. The reason has nothing to do with the pregnancy. I could not hope for a better pregnancy at this point. I have been absent because Husband has been going through some medical poking and prodding through the last week. Its climax arrives tomorrow (on my birthday!) when he receives an MRI to ascertain if his thyroid cancer has come back. He is determined that it is back. I am still trying to stay optimistic that maybe something else is wrong, but in my speech, I frequently refer to the cancer as being back.
Sigh.
His cancer was not supposed to come back.
He started the initial visits with a new endocrinologist in December and the tests started then. The worst part of the latest round of tests is the low iodine diet he gets to be on. Traditionally, patients are only required to be on this diet for two weeks. The doctor's office was a little slow in scheduling the MRI and pulling everything together. By the time tomorrow comes and goes, he will have been on the diet for twenty-four days. This diet would not be so terrible for a day or two, but twenty-four days of eating this diet is insanity. He is already a vegetarian, but with this diet, he has to take all dairy and eggs (particularly egg yolks) out. He cannot eat anything with sea salt in it. Because you cannot trust many pre-made foods, he has had to make every component of his meals for over three weeks. There is no convenience of opening a can of beans. He has to boil his own. We are both glad that it is over tomorrow.
Onto baby news.
We had our last appointment on January 17. It was also my gestational diabetes testing. I did not mind the syrup-like drink that I had to chug. I would not go out of my way to drink it, but I think some people are way too dramatic about it. I ate beef and eggs for my high protein breakfast. I am always the best blood giver. Thanks to the heparin I administer twice daily, the blood flows like crazy.
Next we had the ultrasound. I had convinced myself that the cyst was gone, but there was always a tiny part of my brain that mocked me for thinking this and tried to convince me that the cyst would be there along with a myriad of other problems.
The cyst was indeed gone and at 28 weeks, 6 days, baby girl weighed three pounds, four ounces. That would be the 67th percentile. We received one picture (probably the last one until she makes her grand debut) and were sent to meet with a new doctor.
Recap: We did not care for the original doctor at the clinic we signed up with. He was very impersonal and treated us like a number on a list. Husband disliked the doctor within the first minute or two of the original appointment. We liked the midwife we saw last month, but she suggested we also see a doctor because of my possible complications during childbirth. Husband told me that if we did not like this doctor, we were leaving.
The new doctor came in and I think we were both calmed immediately. He is a slightly reserved fellow, but extremely knowledgeable and he treated us with concern. Our appointment turned out to be nearly half an hour because we continually bombarded him with questions. He answered each one perfectly and thoroughly. He apologized at one point because he was going extremely in-depth. No apology needed for this scientifically minded couple. We both love the facts.
We determined that I will not have to be induced early (hallelujah), and he thought the rest of the pregnancy should be just fine for me. They do not want me to go too far over my due date because of the disease I am borderline for having, but he said I would be fine going into labor on my own. He also described this disease that I may or may not have and talked to us about some testing that could be done after the baby comes to hopefully be able to tell one way or another if I have it.
We will be staying with our current clinic. At our next appointment, I will make sure to tell the front office that we will be under their midwife's care and (if they need to know), we are also consulting with the new doctor.
Baby girl's due date is just over nine weeks away. I cannot believe how close it is getting. Husband has taken on a new hobby of crocheting and he has made a couple hats for her along with a bunny and T-Rex. He is nearing the end of crocheting a fox for her also. There are several more projects he has lined up to make and he even bought rattle inserts to put inside some of his future creations.
I have decided to turn half my craft room into a nursery so last week I moved the furniture and started going through all my stuff. Even though baby girl will be sleeping in our room for the first six months or so, we want a place to keep all her stuff and to have a changing pad. I also do not want to nurse her in bed and because there is no room for extra furniture in our bedroom (I am not even sure how we will fit her crib), I will put the glide rocker I inherited from my mother in that room as well.
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