yes... I do have a towel on my head.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Monday, December 18, 2006
24 weeks
I don't really like this bottom photo. But I'm too lazy to take another one!
Today Justin and I SAW my belly move. It's the weirdest thing! But very cool.
Monday, December 11, 2006
Spot the Button!
where o where did my little belly button go.....
(that's a cat ear and whiskers at the side, in case you were wondering)
Note: my appendix scar (far left) seems to be doing okay so far. No pain, but it's a little pinkish-looking compared to its normal white.
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Monday, November 20, 2006
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Halfway!
So here I am at 20 weeks, and baby is half-brewed. I feel like I need to say something profound to mark this occasion, but all I can think of is the cliched "time has flown, but I feel like I've been pregnant forever." It's funny how a pre-set length of time does that to a person.
To sum up my pregnancy so far, I'd have to say that I really can't complain. Yes, I have a few aches and pains, and some small things get sacrificed, but I'm glad that I can truly enjoy being pregnant and don't have my head perma-stuck in a toilet or a face full of acne. I know some women look forward to pregnancy so much and then end up disappointed when it's not what they expected. I feel blessed that I am healthy and supported. I love seeing my belly grow and feeling little kicks.
Speaking of support, Justin has been wonderful. He wants the baby to be here now! Some people have asked whether I've had any freak-outs or panic yet about becoming a mother, and I have to honestly say no. But I credit this calmness to Justin, because he has never doubted our ability to do this, or let any of the fears take place of excitement (I know, weird huh?). His calmness is both surprising and comforting, and I hope it continues as we approach April! The only thing he worries about a little is how much pain I'll have to go through in labour. Aw. Well, at least it's a valid concern.
I feel that now I have to get a little more serious about making sure I have everything I'll need for when the baby comes. I want to get everything in order and good to go. Up until now I've just been getting a feel for what's out there and what I need (the trip to register was helpful for that). The things I'm most on the lookout for right now (things I didn't register for) are a good-height dresser (used is fine) to use as a change table, cloth diapers of all kinds (and everything that goes along with cloth diapering), curtains, and a sling carrier (got my eye on a cute one!). Once I get some of these things, I know I'll start feeling more prepared. I also have a wonderful load of stuff, including a crib, coming from my cousin (Hi Steph!). I just have to arrange to get it from Barrie to here.
Justin and I (and many others!) are still convinced that this baby is a girl, but we're not going to find out and we could be 100% wrong. Either way, this baby is going to be mostly comprised of milk, ham/pickle/summer sausage subs, milk, chocolate, milk, bacon, milk, grilled cheese sandwiches and cereal (with milk)! I don't think my cravings have been too strange so far, but I do want what I want when I want it, and it's usually very specific. The strangest craving I had in my head the other day (which I did not act on, by the way) was a simultaneous desire for chili and angel food cake! Do I get points for originality?
Thanks to everyone who checks back for updates and offers encouragement along the way. I love being able to share this crazy experience with you even though most of us are hours apart.
On to the next 20 (hopefully 18-19) weeks!
To sum up my pregnancy so far, I'd have to say that I really can't complain. Yes, I have a few aches and pains, and some small things get sacrificed, but I'm glad that I can truly enjoy being pregnant and don't have my head perma-stuck in a toilet or a face full of acne. I know some women look forward to pregnancy so much and then end up disappointed when it's not what they expected. I feel blessed that I am healthy and supported. I love seeing my belly grow and feeling little kicks.
Speaking of support, Justin has been wonderful. He wants the baby to be here now! Some people have asked whether I've had any freak-outs or panic yet about becoming a mother, and I have to honestly say no. But I credit this calmness to Justin, because he has never doubted our ability to do this, or let any of the fears take place of excitement (I know, weird huh?). His calmness is both surprising and comforting, and I hope it continues as we approach April! The only thing he worries about a little is how much pain I'll have to go through in labour. Aw. Well, at least it's a valid concern.
I feel that now I have to get a little more serious about making sure I have everything I'll need for when the baby comes. I want to get everything in order and good to go. Up until now I've just been getting a feel for what's out there and what I need (the trip to register was helpful for that). The things I'm most on the lookout for right now (things I didn't register for) are a good-height dresser (used is fine) to use as a change table, cloth diapers of all kinds (and everything that goes along with cloth diapering), curtains, and a sling carrier (got my eye on a cute one!). Once I get some of these things, I know I'll start feeling more prepared. I also have a wonderful load of stuff, including a crib, coming from my cousin (Hi Steph!). I just have to arrange to get it from Barrie to here.
Justin and I (and many others!) are still convinced that this baby is a girl, but we're not going to find out and we could be 100% wrong. Either way, this baby is going to be mostly comprised of milk, ham/pickle/summer sausage subs, milk, chocolate, milk, bacon, milk, grilled cheese sandwiches and cereal (with milk)! I don't think my cravings have been too strange so far, but I do want what I want when I want it, and it's usually very specific. The strangest craving I had in my head the other day (which I did not act on, by the way) was a simultaneous desire for chili and angel food cake! Do I get points for originality?
Thanks to everyone who checks back for updates and offers encouragement along the way. I love being able to share this crazy experience with you even though most of us are hours apart.
On to the next 20 (hopefully 18-19) weeks!
Monday, November 13, 2006
I like to move it move it...
This is a little late in making it on here, but a couple weeks ago I felt the the first little movements! I think it was between 17 and 18 weeks, and since then I feel them every day, mostly when I'm sitting.
They feel like bumps/mini-punches/thumps, and sometimes they surprise me so much that I laugh out loud! I love it because it's like a little "hello, I'm here" every now and then.
Still waiting for Justin to be able to feel them from the outside. He's pretty jealous ;)
Oh, and one interesting thing is that when the cats drape their purring bodies over my belly, I seem to get more kicks! They're communicating.
They feel like bumps/mini-punches/thumps, and sometimes they surprise me so much that I laugh out loud! I love it because it's like a little "hello, I'm here" every now and then.
Still waiting for Justin to be able to feel them from the outside. He's pretty jealous ;)
Oh, and one interesting thing is that when the cats drape their purring bodies over my belly, I seem to get more kicks! They're communicating.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Monday, October 23, 2006
The Midwifery Option
Since I've gotten some questions about using a midwife, I thought I would address the most common questions/myths surrounding the choice I've made. All of the following information is paraphrased from this book (which is amazing and I highly recommend it):
1. To have a midwife, don't you have to choose a homebirth?
No. Midwives in Ontario can attend to you at birth in either a hospital or in your home. They do not pressure you into either decision. However, midwives are the only trained professional that can attend a homebirth.
2. Do women who choose midwives care about the experience more than the baby's safety?
The work of midwives has repeatedly shown to have a positive impact on the mother's physical and emotional health, as well as the baby's. Midwives are also present and focused with the labouring mother throughout the entire birth (not leaving to see other patients) so that they can pay attention and detect any problems early on.
3. Do women who choose midwives not understand the risks involved in birth?
Midwives offer a great deal of information to their clients so that they can make informed choices about everything from the birthplace to medical intervention.
4. Aren't midwives only for women who can handle pain or have easy labours? Don't they refuse to let you have drugs?
Births with a midwife are still painful! While midwives can't eliminate pain, they are fantastic at helping women manage it without medical intervention. Midwives can also arrange for pain relief to be provided if the client requests it, or if it will help a long labour progress.
5. I thought midwives were only for hippies. Will they make you sip herbal tea and chant?
Midwives do advocate for natural remedies and pain management, yet they are also informed about conventional medical approaches and leave it up to the client to follow her own philosophy.
6. Are midwives expensive?
In Ontario, midwifery is covered by our provincial health plan. When I chose my midwife instead of my doctor, the government pays the midwife instead of the doctor.
7. Can you still get tests with a midwife?
Midwives can order a wide range of tests, covering everything likely needed in pregnancy. If a non-routine test is needed, a midwife can arrange for a doctor to order the test.
8. Midwives are less experienced than doctors or nurses though, right?
Prenatal care, labour and delivery, and post-partum care are a midwife's specialty because they are her only area of practice. They are experts in "normal birth" (my own midwife has delivered over 1000 babies!)
9. Do midwives and doctors respect each other?
Some doctors still misunderstand or question the idea of midwifery as a profession, but many doctors are advocates of midwife care and routinely suggest it to their patients (some doctors are clients themselves). Many are colleagues who respect each other's skills.
10. "If I (my sister/my wife/etc.) had a midwife, the baby would have died."
This statement is tricky because it's very personal, but the bottom line is that midwives have skills that allow them to cover a variety of situations, and they also monitor how the birth is progressing so that they can transfer care to a physician if it looks like medical intervention may be needed. For a homebirth, midwives bring most of the equipment you would find at the hospital, including oxygen, drugs that will slow excessive bleeding, and resuscitation equipment for both mother and baby.
11. What if you need to have a c-section?
Canadian studies have shown that midwifery clients are less likely to have a c-section than those who choose a physician-assisted birth. To be fair, the midwives have the odds stacked in their favour because they do not specialize in high-risk clients. If, as the labour progresses, it becomes obvious that a c-section is required, the midwife will transfer care to a physician so that the mother and baby will get the care they need.
12. Do midwives really know how to deal with problems in pregnancy and birth?
Although their specialty is in normal birth, that doesn't mean they are unfamiliar with identifying complications. In Ontario, midwife training is regulated and the standards of care closely monitored. They know their own scope and when to transfer care to a physician.
13. What do you mean they offer post-partum care?
After the baby is born, the midwife will visit you in your home within 24 hours, and for many other days in the first 6 weeks to make sure everything is going well, including breastfeeding.
I'm really excited and comfortable with my decision, as is Justin. I feel supported and well cared for. Everybody has to make their own decisions about what kind of care they will choose, and for me this fits best with what I want and the options I'd like to have. If anyone has any more questions, please ask!
1. To have a midwife, don't you have to choose a homebirth?No. Midwives in Ontario can attend to you at birth in either a hospital or in your home. They do not pressure you into either decision. However, midwives are the only trained professional that can attend a homebirth.
2. Do women who choose midwives care about the experience more than the baby's safety?
The work of midwives has repeatedly shown to have a positive impact on the mother's physical and emotional health, as well as the baby's. Midwives are also present and focused with the labouring mother throughout the entire birth (not leaving to see other patients) so that they can pay attention and detect any problems early on.
3. Do women who choose midwives not understand the risks involved in birth?
Midwives offer a great deal of information to their clients so that they can make informed choices about everything from the birthplace to medical intervention.
4. Aren't midwives only for women who can handle pain or have easy labours? Don't they refuse to let you have drugs?
Births with a midwife are still painful! While midwives can't eliminate pain, they are fantastic at helping women manage it without medical intervention. Midwives can also arrange for pain relief to be provided if the client requests it, or if it will help a long labour progress.
5. I thought midwives were only for hippies. Will they make you sip herbal tea and chant?
Midwives do advocate for natural remedies and pain management, yet they are also informed about conventional medical approaches and leave it up to the client to follow her own philosophy.
6. Are midwives expensive?
In Ontario, midwifery is covered by our provincial health plan. When I chose my midwife instead of my doctor, the government pays the midwife instead of the doctor.
7. Can you still get tests with a midwife?
Midwives can order a wide range of tests, covering everything likely needed in pregnancy. If a non-routine test is needed, a midwife can arrange for a doctor to order the test.
8. Midwives are less experienced than doctors or nurses though, right?
Prenatal care, labour and delivery, and post-partum care are a midwife's specialty because they are her only area of practice. They are experts in "normal birth" (my own midwife has delivered over 1000 babies!)
9. Do midwives and doctors respect each other?
Some doctors still misunderstand or question the idea of midwifery as a profession, but many doctors are advocates of midwife care and routinely suggest it to their patients (some doctors are clients themselves). Many are colleagues who respect each other's skills.
10. "If I (my sister/my wife/etc.) had a midwife, the baby would have died."
This statement is tricky because it's very personal, but the bottom line is that midwives have skills that allow them to cover a variety of situations, and they also monitor how the birth is progressing so that they can transfer care to a physician if it looks like medical intervention may be needed. For a homebirth, midwives bring most of the equipment you would find at the hospital, including oxygen, drugs that will slow excessive bleeding, and resuscitation equipment for both mother and baby.
11. What if you need to have a c-section?
Canadian studies have shown that midwifery clients are less likely to have a c-section than those who choose a physician-assisted birth. To be fair, the midwives have the odds stacked in their favour because they do not specialize in high-risk clients. If, as the labour progresses, it becomes obvious that a c-section is required, the midwife will transfer care to a physician so that the mother and baby will get the care they need.
12. Do midwives really know how to deal with problems in pregnancy and birth?
Although their specialty is in normal birth, that doesn't mean they are unfamiliar with identifying complications. In Ontario, midwife training is regulated and the standards of care closely monitored. They know their own scope and when to transfer care to a physician.
13. What do you mean they offer post-partum care?
After the baby is born, the midwife will visit you in your home within 24 hours, and for many other days in the first 6 weeks to make sure everything is going well, including breastfeeding.
I'm really excited and comfortable with my decision, as is Justin. I feel supported and well cared for. Everybody has to make their own decisions about what kind of care they will choose, and for me this fits best with what I want and the options I'd like to have. If anyone has any more questions, please ask!
Thursday, October 12, 2006
I'm becoming one of "those" women
So you know those pregnant ladies who walk around clutching their lower backs as if the weight of their big bellies is going to snap them in half? Yeah, i already feel that way!
My belly isn't huge or heavy yet at all, but the past few days I have been having some significant lower back pain that makes me a) feel really old, b) feel really ridiculous, and c) walk kinda funny.
Hate to imagine what I'll be like 5 months from now!
My belly isn't huge or heavy yet at all, but the past few days I have been having some significant lower back pain that makes me a) feel really old, b) feel really ridiculous, and c) walk kinda funny.
Hate to imagine what I'll be like 5 months from now!
Monday, October 09, 2006
14 weeks 3 days...yikes!
I had to post mid-week because the growth is just happening so quickly! I could be the Thanksgiving turkey!
Friday, October 06, 2006
14 weeks
I went to the midwife on Thursday and got to hear the heartbeat! It was pretty amazing. Everything seems to be going well!
Monday, October 02, 2006
Thursday, September 28, 2006
It's real!
Okay, so even though I knew I was pregnant (because the tests said so and because my body has been abducted by aliens), I think I always had this bizarre fear in the back of my mind that I would go for my first ultrasound and see only a blackened void of nothing. Irrational? Yes. But it's hard to grasp the reality of something you can't see, and you start to wonder if it's all in your mind. Thankfully, it is not. Behold! S.S. Morgan* in the flesh!
In case you see only a grey blob with no apparent resemblace to any form of human, you're looking at a side profile of the baby on its back; the head is on the left and the belly is on the right. If you look closely, you can see a tiny TINY little leg/knee/foot bending on the far right.
*S.S.Morgan is what we called the baby when it was around 5 weeks (the size of a Sesame Seed).
In case you see only a grey blob with no apparent resemblace to any form of human, you're looking at a side profile of the baby on its back; the head is on the left and the belly is on the right. If you look closely, you can see a tiny TINY little leg/knee/foot bending on the far right.*S.S.Morgan is what we called the baby when it was around 5 weeks (the size of a Sesame Seed).
Monday, September 25, 2006
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Yay for grandmas!
Here it is! Your first look at the room we're getting ready. Both grandmothers-in-waiting slaved all day to make it just how I wanted. I love it!
The dark brown wallpaper is on one wall only. The other three are the caramel colour.
More pictures to come once the empty room fills up!
Friday, September 01, 2006
9 weeks
Apparently the baby is now the size of a strawberry! Although... strawberries do come in a wide variety of sizes. I'm thinking about an inch or so long.
The nausea seems to be hitting me less, but the tiredness has replaced it. Not so much of an "I want to sleep", more of an "if I move I might just fall over". Kinda feels like i've been running all day long and my body is mad at me.
I am now having a love affair with my couch.
The nausea seems to be hitting me less, but the tiredness has replaced it. Not so much of an "I want to sleep", more of an "if I move I might just fall over". Kinda feels like i've been running all day long and my body is mad at me.
I am now having a love affair with my couch.
Monday, August 28, 2006
Tick Tock
I just added a new link to the right - My Ticker. If you click on it, it will take you to my own personal pregnancy timeline! It updates itself daily.
Monday, August 21, 2006
Feeling a little better
I am learning how to manage the nausea. It still comes and goes, but it's directly related to hunger, so when I feel sick, I just have to go eat a big meal. It's the last thing I feel like doing, but it really does help. The nurse practitioner suggested eating raw almonds as a snack because the combination of fat and protein really stays with you. Of all the suggested morning sickness cures, this one has helped the most.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Monday, August 14, 2006
Telling Justin
(Ignore the fact that I need to clean my oven)
I told Justin that the oven smelled funny and asked if he could check it. I was in the bedroom and he yelled from the kitchen, "Why is there a bun in here?" I played innocent and yelled back, "In where?"
"In the stove!" he called.
"In what?"
"In the stove."
"What is in there?"
"A bun!"
"You're telling me there's a bun in the oven?"
"Yes!"
At this point I show up at the kitchen door with my pregnancy test and say, "Yes, there is a bun in the oven."
(ovens are not stoves. there is a clear difference)
Evidence!
I actually took three tests just to be sure! Here are the second and third, taken at around 4 weeks. The positive lines are light, but they're definitely there!
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Symptoms to Date
-constantly burping
-always feel full, especially when I wake up
-sore ab muscles
-one day of slight queasiness so far
-the scent capacity of a hyperactive bloodhound
-always feel full, especially when I wake up
-sore ab muscles
-one day of slight queasiness so far
-the scent capacity of a hyperactive bloodhound
Monday, August 07, 2006
Telling the Parents, Part I
laptop computer: $1700.00
internet connection: $18.95/month
digital camera: $200.00
website: free
telling you there are three people in this photo: PRICELESS
ETA: April 2007
internet connection: $18.95/month
digital camera: $200.00
website: free
telling you there are three people in this photo: PRICELESS
ETA: April 2007
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