38w 6d - Pampering

For Christmas my mother-in-law treated me to a pedicure and manicure! (Thanks, Mom!) I made the appointment for today and it was wonderful--the brief foot massage especially! I went to a newer spa in Waynesboro and the staff was very friendly. Sometimes you have too many of the employees who don't speak English so the feeling is very "cold." But these folks were great. Now I'll have pretty toes for that glorious birthing day. =)

A funny story came from that New Year's Eve trip. An older woman came in for her first pedicure ever with her granddaughter and great-granddaughter. While we let our toes dry, she asked me about my pregnancy and noted that I would not be allowed to keep on my toe color for delivery. Say again? I told her I had never heard of that, and asked if she was sure that was still true? She seemed pretty confident so I assured her I would ask at my next appointment. During my manicure, she asked her granddaughter who confirmed "they" no longer request this of moms. =) The sweet lady told me that she had her babies 40-some years ago, so it was an old "rule." Apparently they needed your nails clean to check for circulation and hydration. Kind of funny the things they used to "do" to moms. No more enemas or shaving, either!! ;)

Happy New Year! Looks like we will get to meet "Pason" in 2008 after all!

Kiss da belly :)

Kiss da belly :),
originally uploaded by Christopher.Johnson.

I thought this photo I came across on Flickr was soooo sweet.....

The Shop

Jason's woodworking shop is taking shape. We have nothing inside yet--that will be slow going--but we have the structure!

38 Week Belly Bump

The Business of Being Born

We saw this film about having babies in America a few weeks back and highly recommend it! Add it to your Netflix queue today...

The Business of Being Born Trailer

It is now available on YouTube, so I couldn't resist posting about it again. If you are anyone who loves babies or are thinking of having one of your own, please try to see this movie. You may add it to your Netflix queue if it is not showing in your area.

38w 1d - Appointment

I had my 38-week appointment today with the same CNM who I talked a lot with about the GBS+... She was awesome and asked how I was doing with that. I told her that I never got through to 1 of the baby's docs about it but that I have my plan of action and I'm at peace with it... I also plan to start a garlic regimen to reduce the GBS colonization.

She went over some basic advice for the first couple of weeks as parents which I found very nice and helpful, and I was glad Jason was there to hear some of it. =) Such as suggesting that I get out of the house for even an hour and leave him with the baby to put him in a bit different role. We also discussed a little about breastfeeding and bottle feeding.

Pason's heart rate was around 120 I think--we're guessing it was napping. Still head down and in great position. We discussed their protocol if I get to 41 weeks as they don't like to go over 42... And I told her basically there aren't any labor symptoms and she saw that as a good thing so my body wouldn't be messing with my mind driving me crazy and not letting me sleep. =) I've had very occasional back cramping and seldom sharp cervical discomfort, but nothing I can time with any regularity.

Oh and she confirmed if I am using evening primrose oil to help "prime" and thin my cervix. I'm currently using 1500 mg and she suggested I could go up to even 3000 mg anytime now.

They will start doing cervical checks next week (Wednesday) if I want them to. I'm kind of undecided being GBS+ but she said if water isn't broken then risk is minimal, if any.

I've found a great midwifery article about self-treatment of the GBS with garlic and the article also discusses cervical checks if you are interested.

38w 0d - "Pason" This Week

• Your baby probably weighs just over 7 pounds (3250g) by now and measures about 14.4 inches (36cm) from crown to rump and has a total length of about 21.5 inches (48cm).
• Your baby's lungs are the last part to develop before birth. Once the lungs are developed, your baby is ready for life outside the womb.
• By now your baby has almost run out of space to move in your uterus.
• Your baby has shed most of her lanugo, though she may still have some on her shoulders and in the creases of her body.
• Her toenails reach the end of her toes.
• The umbilical cord, which still is supplying your baby with nutrition as she gains more weight, may be knotted or wrapped around her.
• Some of your antibodies have crossed the placental barrier and give your baby's immune system a boost to get her started until hers is fully functioning.
• Your baby could be born any day now.

Source: http://preg.fertilityfriend.com

37w 2d - "Last" Last HypnoBirthing® Class

Since our last hypnobirthing class was so disjointed with our classmate walking in with her baby and telling their incredibly inspiring story, Kate, our instructor, invited me and J back to her last class tonight of her current class of 2 more couples. We definitely got some more information about birth and the first couple of weeks of parenthood that I found very helpful. I talked to her also about the deeper anesthesia relaxation that I just can't quite seem to get a handle on, and she gave us some other suggestions to try to get that numbing technique to work for me. It could be that my mental block is too great and it just isn't going to work. I will keep trying but not stress over it too much.

37w 1d - Doula Visit

My doula came for her second visit tonight. We went over techniques/words/actions that I think will help relax me, and I went over some of the basic HypnoBirthing® techniques that have "clicked" with me to relax me in my practice sessions. She's concerned about J feeling uncomfortable or "pushed aside" but I told her I didn't think it would be a concern, and that he understands the value and importance of a doula. I spoke with him later just to be sure, and he confirmed... He said that if it makes his job of my birth companion a little easier, then it sounds like an excellent deal to him! :o)

My friend J was visiting that evening before my doula arrived and got to meet her. She has a great sense of character and said she got good vibes from my doula. I told her that so did I, or I wouldn't have hired her. :-) My friend asked about how to become certified. I told her what I knew and that I think she'd be an amazing doula! I hope she will be able to look into it more down the road. It would be an excellent line of work for her.

37w 0d - "Pason" This Week

• On average, at this time, a baby weighs about 6.8 pounds (3100g) and measures about 14 inches (35cm) from crown to rump and 21 inches (47cm) total in length.
• Your baby is still growing and gaining weight. Your baby may gain as much as 1 ounce (28g) a day at this point.
• If your baby is a boy, his testes should have descended into the scrotum by this time. Your doctor will check that his testes have descended after delivery. About one percent of boys will have undescended testes.
• Your baby has been building up waste in his intestines for the past few weeks. Called meconium, this waste is greenish-black and is made up of material from blood cell break down, shedded cells from the lining of the intestine, skin cells and lanugo shed into the amniotic fluid and swallowed, as well as other sources. Meconium is the first waste your baby passes and the first diapers that you change will probably be comprised of this greenish-black, tar-like substance. There is also a chance that your baby will excrete meconium before delivery and have some covering his body.

Source: http://preg.fertilityfriend.com

36w 2d – Ups & Downs

I haven’t used this topic in a while so I will use it as the outline for a pretty sizeable update.

Downs

• Last week I tested positive for the Group B Strep test. A pretty thorough explanation of it is provided by americanpregnancy.org. An otherwise healthy mom can pass GBS to her baby during delivery. It is upsetting to me as the treatment recommended by the CDC is IV antibiotics (Penicillin), and therein lies a risk of later developing thrush, and, even worse yet, the baby being exposed to any bacteria that are antibiotic resistant and become “super bacteria.” I plan to ask more questions to Pason’s doctor whom we have selected to see us at the hospital. (We will then transfer the baby’s care to our local area.)
• Our crib arrived with considerable shipping damage, but we’ve already received the beautiful replacement. (This is definitely also an “up!”)
• Bad (icy) weather is possible this Saturday when we are supposed to have another baby shower.
• I’m starting to not sleep as well. I’m definitely in month 9!

Ups

• I've hired a labor/birth doula! We met with her the first time a couple of weeks back.
  
• On the 8th I was honored to attend our second baby shower in Shenandoah. Tremendous thanks go to Andrea & Kathryn for all their hard work, beautiful cake, and other yummy food, and to all the wonderful ladies who attended and who have sent plentiful baby gifts!
• The nursery is close to completion. We haven’t felt rushed or pressured since we plan to keep Pason in our bedroom at first. I welcome feedback on the Arm’s Reach Co-Sleeper that we plan to use!
• Last CNM (certified nurse-midwife) appointment yesterday was excellent. Pason’s heart rate approximately 143. My BP 110/72. My weight gain good—I think around 25 lb, not sure exactly where I started. Fundal height 37 cm. Provided my birth plan to the midwife. We discussed the GBS+ result and how it may affect my labor experience. I got her talking pretty well, and J got to ask a few questions such as what defines fetal distress? We probably spent 45 minutes with her. :) I love the midwifery care model!
• We finally decided about a week ago to stay with the plan to birth at the hospital instead of the new natural birthing center. A lot of factors went into our decision, but overall we are glad we did our research (regarding hospital and birth center births) and feel confident we have made an informed decision. Perhaps, if we have a “next time,” the birth center will be better established and we will feel more comfortable and know better what to expect.

36w 0d - "Pason" This Week

• Your baby is now considered full term. He weighs approximately 6.5 lbs (2950g) and his total length is about 21 inches (47cm). Your baby's crown to rump measurement is about 14 inches (35cm).
• By now, your baby's head may have engaged into your pelvis.
• You may feel that your baby occasionally has hiccups from his "practice breathing.”
• Though your baby is considered full term, he is still growing and developing both his body and his brain.
• He is still laying down fat at a rate of more than half an ounce every day.

Source: http://preg.fertilityfriend.com

Razor's Final Day

You may click on a photo to enlarge it.

Indy & Razor in Razor's Last Weeks

This has to be one of my favorite, sweetest pet photos!

34 Week Belly & Shower

We had a shower on Saturday at Jason's Aunt's house. Thanks so much, Aunt Doris & Uncle Glenn!! And thanks to everyone for the wonderful baby items for Pason!

Thanks to cousin Betsy for her beautiful baking craftsmanship!

And then here is my 34-week bump! Who the heck is that?!?

35w 2d - Weight Gain To Date

Still within "normal" ranges... :-)


Summary

Gained in 1st trimester: 4.0 lb

Gained in 2nd trimester: 11.8 lb

Gained in 3rd trimester: 8.4 lb

To Date: 24.2 lb

35w 0d - "Pason" This Week

• Your baby weighs about 6 lbs (2750g) and measures about 20.7 inches (46cm) in length. Crown to rump measurement is about 13.5 inches (34cm).
• Your baby now feels lower in your pelvis.
• Your baby continues to grow, kick, and move about.
• Your baby's face has filled out and the cheeks now look plump and full. Fat baby cheeks are caused by fat deposits, but also by powerful sucking muscles which your baby has been honing by sucking her thumb.
• Your baby's skull is firm, but it is not hard as it needs to give a little when it is passing through the birth canal.
• Your baby's head is probably down by now, but about three percent of babies present in a breech (bottom down) position. Your doctor may try to turn your baby around if it is in a breech position by putting pressure on your abdomen. This is called external cephalic version (ECV) and is effective in about 50% of cases. If your baby is in a breech position, ask your doctor about what your options are for the birth. You may or may not require a cesarean delivery.

Source: http://preg.fertilityfriend.com

Gender Poll Closed

The gender poll is closed. The "boy" votes win, 27-19! We'll see if you are correct... ;-) very soon! Check out the new poll on when Pason will arrive!

34w 6d - Midwife Appointment & Birth Center Consideration

I saw the nurse-midwife, Donna, today, and met the new fifth CNM in the practice, Melody. Turns out, I already know her! She was shadowing Donna today and is a friend of a friend whom I have met a couple of times. It was so nice seeing her familiar face. God is so great!

On to the update. I did the Group Beta Strep swab today (results next week). Pason is head down. Heart rate around 139. My bump measured about 35.5 cm (just a tad ahead of schedule). My BP is 114/72--yeah!! Donna gave me premature labor signs to watch out for and other reasons to call them, which I already was educated about, but it was good to hear the review.

At the end I told her that we are considering transferring care to another provider, and that I am not at all unhappy with treatment with the current practice. Donna gave me some good major points to consider. We're considering a natural birth center that recently opened in Buena Vista, operated by Rockbridge Midwifery Care. (Their site may or may not be "live" yet.) It is only the third stand alone open birth center in Virginia!

I had always told close friends that a birthing center would be my ideal choice for my birth experience. So, there I sat a couple of weeks ago, at 33 weeks pregnant, with the prospect of all of a sudden changing care providers and birth locations from the hustle and bustle of a hospital with certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) to a small, quiet, private home environment with certified professional midwives (CPMs).

We have toured the birth center (it is so homey and comfy), visited with one of the CPMs, and I have spoken with her several times since to ask many questions. I hope to post more about this topic later, but, in short, I have done a lot of research lately and have found that a hospital birth is not the safest place for mom or baby in a low-risk, "normal" pregnancy. With that said, I understand RMH to be one of the more progressive hospitals of our time in this area, and, therefore, safer than others could be in many respects. Thus, this makes for quite a difficult decision. We appreciate your prayers and positive birthing vibes as we work through the various details and decision making as Pason gets closer to arrival at Chez Kite!

34w 0d - "Pason" This Week

• Your baby now measures about 20.25 inches (45cm) in total length and weighs around 5.5 lbs (2550g). Crown to rump measurement is about 13.2 inches (33cm).
• He continues to grow and fatten up, especially in the shoulder area, and kicks regularly.
• The fine lanugo hair that covered your baby is shedding, though some may still be present when your baby is born.
• Your baby's eyes are blue, though this may change soon after birth or much later after birth.
• Your baby's fingernails are growing. They already reach the tips of his fingers and they may even look quite long and pointy by the time he is born. Your baby may even have some scratch marks from scratching his face with his fingernails.
• Your baby is probably feeling quite cramped right now and his movements are restricted by his growing size.

Source: http://preg.fertilityfriend.com

The Business of Being Born

Are you in my area? Even if not... a documentary produced by Ricki Lake titled The Business of Being Born is showing via pre-screenings around the country. See a trailer and more about the film here. You'll also find a link there to the screening schedule.

If you are in my area come to Lexington next week! FREE!

11/29/07 6:00 pm Washington & Lee University, Leyburn Library, Northern Auditorium,
204 West Wasghington St, Lexington, VA

Call Cassandra Perez 540.462.7958 for info.

33w 0d - "Pason" This Week

• Your baby weighs almost 5 lbs (2250 g) and is 12.8 inches (32cm) from crown to rump and about 19.8 inches (44cm) long.
• If your baby were born now, she would be considered "pre-term" rather than premature. This distinction is based on fetal maturity, particularly the maturity of the fetal lungs. A pre-term baby, unlike a premature baby, is likely to have well-developed lungs and is less likely to need intensive care.
• Your baby is surrounded by a red glow when sunlight shines on your belly and may be aware of this as she is able to differentiate between light and dark.
• Your baby's hair is getting thicker, though it may be a different color when she is older.
• She is currently shedding her lanugo, the fine downy hair that previously covered her body.
• More vernix, the waxy coating that protects your baby's skin while submerged in amniotic fluid, is building up.
• Your baby's adrenal glands are producing more steroid hormone, the androgen-like hormone that indirectly aids your milk production. Your baby is currently producing ten times more of this hormone than a normal adult and the adrenal glands are currently the same size as those of an adolescent. They will shrink after birth.
• Your baby is laying down bone. To do this, she will draw calcium from you.
• Your baby has taste buds and it has been suggested that she can taste and develop tastes for flavors found in the amniotic fluid, particularly flavors that you eat on a regular basis.
  

Source: http://preg.fertilityfriend.com

32w - The Pregnancy Etiquette Guide

I found this too entertaining and helpful not to share!

---

Read along as Minsun, a 29-year-old screenwriter and freelance writer living in Los Angeles, chronicles her first pregnancy.

The Pregnancy Etiquette Guide
by Minsun Park

Emily Post and Judith Martin, a.k.a. Miss Manners, those grand dames of etiquette and civility, are fighting a losing battle against the serious decline of manners in western civilization. Now I'm not talking about the horrors of using the wrong fork at dinner, but rather of an appalling lack of common sense and seeming indifference to other people's feelings -- pregnant people in particular. Surprisingly, there is no definitive etiquette guidebook on how to behave towards pregnant women. Although there are a baffling array of etiquette books for funerals, weddings, baby showers, dinner parties, wedding showers and every other conceivable major life event, not to mention how-to books on every obscure subject imaginable.

Go to your local bookstore and you'll find "The Complete Idiot's Guides" on every topic from Scrapbooking to Speaking Yiddish and Saltwater Aquariums. Yet there's no "Complete Cretin's Guide On How Not To Make a Total Ass Out of Yourself Around Pregnant People." Recognizing this information void, I've decided to take it upon myself to compile a short, informal list of pregnancy do's and don'ts for the complete cretin in your life. Feel free to print this out or use as a template for your own personal etiquette guide and distribute to loved ones and not-so-loved ones.

Resist the urge to be a color commentator
As difficult as this may be to grasp, we pregnant women will be able to sleep soundly at night not knowing how gargantuan or how tiny you think we are. If it is considered rude to make a personal remark on someone's size in normal situations, why is it suddenly acceptable when it's applied to pregnant women? How would you like it if I turned around and started commenting on your lard-ass? In my case, strangers and acquaintances alike are constantly telling me how "small I am for a pregnant woman." They are shocked and even concerned when they learn I am eight months pregnant.

It's kind of a backhanded compliment because the remark only serves to provoke anxiety that maybe the baby is freakishly small despite gaining a healthy 26 pounds. Conversely, I've also had people react with horror that the baby is going to be freakishly big because I've gained such a good amount of weight and since I'm carrying small, it must be "all baby." Either way, once the size observation is made, these same people love to hold me hostage with tales of that gargantuan pregnant lady they saw at the supermarket, museum or whatever. They talk about these sightings with the same awe and relish reserved for a Bigfoot encounter or a tall fishing tale of the big one that got away. Gee thanks. Am I supposed to be flattered by this comparison? That's like me coming up to a total stranger and saying, "Wow, you're pretty fat but not as fat as this obese woman I saw in aisle five at the supermarket the other day. Yeah, she was even fatter than you." Think about it.

Keep your hands to yourself
I don't give a flying fig if you think it's good luck to rub a pregnant belly, keep those grubby paws to yourself. And if you absolutely can't resist, for goodness sake, have the courtesy to ask permission before groping. Of course this rule doesn't apply if you're related to me, a close friend, or someone I know in the biblical sense -- and you know who you are. All others must risk being touched back and you'd be surprised at how much you will dislike it. Recently, a guy in my karate class I don't really like grabbed my burgeoning tummy and said smirkingly, "uh oh!" So I calmly grabbed his beer gut and gave his fat an extra squeeze and said, "uh oh!" right back. He flushed and quickly snatched his hand away and slunk off. He got off easy, because if a total stranger touches my belly, things will get coyote ugly pretty quickly and he or she will have to chew his own hand off in order to get away from me.

Don't join the staring squad
I know, I know, I'm pregnant. Get over it. I don't know what the big deal is but I can see you gawking at me. If you have to stare, at least try to be discreet about it and that means no pointing or worse yet, no nudging your friends and having them join the staring squad. I tested for my brown belt in tae kwon do last week and as I walked past a group of seated spectators -- mostly moms watching their children test, I felt every eye burning holes into me. Some were scandalized while others were curious, but all of them just stared at me relentlessly. Most of these spectators didn't stay for the adult test, but the few that remained continued to whisper and nudge and point in my direction. I'm just a pregnant woman, not a carnival sideshow.

Don't offer unsolicited advice
If I want your advice or opinion, I'll ask for it. Otherwise, back off. Resist the urge to play pregnancy police and get it through your head that my pregnancy is a private, not public event. I know a woman who is annoyingly obsessed with my salt intake. She's constantly warning me about the evils of salt, especially in the third trimester. What these evils are isn't clear since even my own doctor has no idea what she's talking about. She even corners my husband and grills him about how much salt I'm eating. I suspect she imagines that pregnant women are like slugs that will bubble up and melt away if you sprinkle salt on them.

Don't over-share
As strange as this may seem, hearing your harrowing horror stories of fetal distress, perineal tears, or delivering your baby in your driveway because you couldn't make it to the hospital in time, does nothing to relieve my anxiety over my own impending labor. Call me crazy, but your near-brushes with disaster just aren't reassuring. Even if you wrap up your story with the usual "but in the end it was all worth it and besides, you forget all about it later." I don't doubt that it was worth it, and if you really do forget, how do you always manage to remember to tell me?

Don't ask me how I'm feeling
Gone are the days when people used to ask the perfunctory, "How are you?" without really caring what the answer was. It's an unspoken agreement that the only answer anybody wants to hear is "fine" even if you are not fine. But now that I'm an incubator, the new greeting is "How are you feeling?" And for some strange reason, "fine" just doesn't cut it anymore. When I try to get away with "fine" people just seem sort of disappointed as if they expected more detail. Apparently "fine" is boring and unacceptable. Everyone seems so expectant that I often feel compelled to follow up with, "well, my back hurts sometimes" or "I'm a little tired sometimes." Maybe you're genuinely concerned or interested in me all of a sudden and if that's the case then I'm truly touched. But despite the fact that I'm now pregnant, I'm still me and I'm still capable of talking about other topics like current events or anything else besides my condition.

Look me in the eyes, not in the belly
This also belongs in the category of wanting to be treated as an individual not merely an incubator. Unlike my well-endowed girlfriends, I've never had the experience of having eyes riveted to my chest while being complimented on my lovely eyes, so I was unprepared for all this interest in a protruding body part. But it's truly disconcerting to hold a conversation with someone who is talking to my belly instead of to me. So hey, yoo-hoo, I'm up here!

Don't ask me if the baby is here yet
Does it look like the baby is here yet? I'm obviously still pregnant so your question is completely asinine. Try to hone your powers of observation.

And here are some pregnancy do's that are actually helpful:

Do offer me a chair
It's amazing how the same members of the staring squad become mysteriously oblivious to your presence in a crowded bar, bus, train or waiting room. Be a decent citizen and offer up the chair.

Do let me go to the front of that restroom line
Ladies or gents, if this applies, have some mercy on a poor, pummeled bladder and give a gal a break. If you're concerned enough to glare at me in the Starbuck's line, then please be concerned enough to let me go ahead of you in the bathroom.

Do offer to carry that heavy parcel
It's hard enough to lug my extra girth around, let alone the groceries so any help will be gratefully accepted.

A back rub or foot rub is always appreciated
If you want to score points with that pregnant person in your life, then offer a massage. Chances are, there is some body part that aches and we can't get enough comfort measures.

So that's my short and not-so-sweet pregnancy etiquette guide. It's still a work in progress, but hopefully this will be a somewhat informative public service announcement, even in its crude state. Please let me know if I've overlooked anything, and I'll be happy to add to or amend this work in progress.

"Razor" b. 4/18/06 d. 11/10/07

Razor lost his battle last Saturday to bone cancer. It had spread to his lungs fairly quickly. We don't know a lot of details, as we decided not to put him through any further testing, x-rays, or otherwise unnecessary treatment since bone cancer is such a death sentence anyway. We kept his pain level tolerable as best as possible...

Maybe 3 weeks ago, he started an occasional cough. It became more frequent very gradually, but overall he seemed happy and still wagged his tail and loved being with us (typical Lab). That was all that mattered. We continued to work on his pain level, though, as the tumor in his hip had swollen to an obviously uncomfortable size. We kept him on Prednisone throughout, and just in his last week had started him on a pain killer, Tramadol.

On Thursday the 8th, I noticed his breathing becoming more difficult, and I called Dr. Bowman Friday to see if we could do anything to help him be more comfortable. He suggested a fluid pill but couldn't give any promises that it could work, with a maximum prognosis of 2 more weeks to live. I decided the drug wasn't worth the effort. I was upset but started to process this thought Friday afternoon. I got home first, and Jason was late for running errands. Around 5 p.m., Razor started a coughing fit and coughed up a lot of blood with some sort of tissue. I remained calm but realized his end was very near. After he got home, Jason and I started discussing plans for euthanasia the following day, Saturday. We loved on Razor all night and gave him what would be his last rawhide bone. He so enjoyed it!

Razor had a great night. He woke us up just before 7 a.m. coughing and hardly ever stopped. He continued coughing up some more blood. I called the vet clinic to make sure they could accommodate us, and we waited on Jason's parents to come pay their respects (they had done some dog sitting for us). His breathing became very difficult and it was very painful to watch. I felt guilty that he had gotten to that point of suffering, but I was grateful for the timing that it was Saturday, not a Sunday when the regular clinic is closed, or overnight, or while we were at work. So, his suffering was relatively short. Razor went to Doggie Heaven just after 10 a.m. The vet (not his regular vet who did his surgery) and the tech we saw were very kind and acknowledged we should not have waited a minute longer to bring him. It is truly a gift we can give our pets--to humanely end their suffering. The tech (who helped with his luxating patella surgery) expressed that he was 1 of her favorite dogs to work on, and that now he has 4 perfect legs and is chasing balls! I told her that yes, he might be, but is definitely chewing on sticks too--1 of his favorite outdoor activities. :)

We buried him beside Phoebe, who we lost a couple of years ago to a truck on US Hwy 340. I sure miss them both. Phoebe's death was very sudden at her young age of 2. That was a very difficult loss for us. We feel particularly cheated, as well, with Razor's illness that he succumbed to at just under 19 months old. He was so kindhearted without a mean streak in his poor sick body at all. I ask, don't the mean animals seem to live forever?

While we are angry at God for cutting our time with Razor so short, I remain thankful that he could be with us while he could and that we could love him and care for him the best we knew how. I also trust God's timing. Our little one is expected within a couple of months. I pray and trust that this was God's way of taking 1 more worry or burden from our plates in time for the biggest life change and commitment--welcoming a child into our home.

Indy, our Border Collie X, is doing well. He is getting extra attention from us now of course. For several days he acted different. That was difficult to see. The primary behavior was that he still looked for Razor in his crate where his crate was set up in the foyer. So far he is doing fine, though. We told him that he is an "only child" for just several more week now! It seems very quiet in the house now without Razor, but I know that is all about to change very soon!

We sure miss you, buddy! We will see you again... 1 day...

Stay tuned for more pictures of him I hope to post.

32w 0d - "Pason" This Week

• Your baby now weighs about 4.4 lbs (2000g) and measures about 12 inches (30cm) from crown to rump and about 19.4 inches (43cm) in total.
• Now that your baby is running out of room in your womb, you can probably see your belly moving as your baby kicks.
• Your baby may dream as he sleeps and when awake he may be alert, listening, feeling and even seeing dim shapes.
• Though your baby is still inside the womb, he is learning all the time as billions of neurons are making connections.
• Your baby is probably in his birth position by now.
• Your baby's lungs may be sufficiently developed by now, though if he were born now, he would probably still need an incubator to stay warm.

Source: http://preg.fertilityfriend.com

Website of Interest - Fetal Positioning

I forgot to mention a website of interest I heard about the other evening. Spinning Babies provides techniques and philosophies that work for some (but not all) women, in getting your baby into the ideal position for birthing. I figure it is definitely worth noting "just in case!"

31w 1d - Midwife Appointment & Massage

I finally met the fourth midwife today, Ann. I loved her! My BP was good (forgot the measurement), weight gain good, around 21 lb so far. I think Pason's head is down to the left, and feet up and to the right, but Ann couldn't find the head. No biggie, still plenty of time. Heartbeat was around 139 bpm--stayin' strong!

I asked her about the "physician preference" of the newborn exam being done in the nursery, and who should we request if we absolutely don't want this? She gave me a recommendation of one of the practices who does rounds at the hospital that, as far as she knows, always does the exams in the room! yay! This is a relief. She said they tend to be a little more laid back and personable. I hope she's right.

This evening I had a maternity back massage for 30 minutes due to an awful pain I got in my upper back not long ago from using the mouse and typing. I feel sooooo much better! It was totally worth it, and I'm "cheap!" :-)

ICAN Information Meeting & A Doula

Tonight I attended a Birth Matters Virginia meeting. The presenter was the founder of the SW VA chapter of ICAN, the International Cesarean Awareness Network. I learned a great deal about what the docs don't want us to know!

I learned a little under each of the following topics regarding c-sections:

• statistics (almost 1 in 3 births in the U.S.)
  
• why they are performed
  
• how they are performed
• benefits
• risks
• how to prevent "the first cut" (c-section in a first birth) and subsequent c-sections
• hospitals that "ban" VBACs
• Under this heading... The hospital where I am delivering is one of them! I had no idea and was appalled. However, a few ladies in the meeting noted that if the mother is outspoken enough, the care giver has happily complied and allowed the VBAC "procedure." (Though there is no "procedure" about it--it's a natural part of life and a mother's choice to deliver at a hospital.)

Also at the meeting I met a couple of doulas who lead the Birth Matters group. I have thought more extensively about using a paid doula instead of the volunteer doula program through the hospital. From what I hear it will be completely worth our money to hire one. I think I'll be looking up a few to interview.

31w 0d - Ups & Downs

Downs

• Fatigue
• Diastasis Recti (see previous post (10/26/07), ow!
• Only 6 weeks until "full term," yikes!

Ups

• Baby hiccups. Began feeling them on Sunday!
• 2 months left (hopefully)!
• Our Arm's Reach co-sleeper arrived yesterday (thanks "Grandma!")
• Nursery almost complete (cosmetically at least)
• My supportive hubby

31w 0d - "Pason" This Week

• Your baby's total length is 18.9 inches (42cm) and she is perfectly formed! She measures about 11.6 inches (29cm) from crown to rump. All she has to do is fill out more. Your baby weighs almost 4 pounds (1800g). If she were to be born now, she would still need to be incubated as she has insufficient fat stores to keep her warm.
• Your baby can distinguish between light and dark.
• Your baby can hear the outside world quite well now, and can also hear the sounds of your heartbeat, your digestion and the blood rushing in the umbilical cord. The pitch of women's voices are in the range babies are most able to hear over all the internal background noise. Your baby is already familiar with your voice and will be able to recognize it after birth.

Source: http://preg.fertilityfriend.com/

30w 5d – Hospital BirthPlace Tour

We got the tour over with and I practiced some of my relaxation breathing in the waiting room. I’ve heard many women say that all the relaxation breathing in the world couldn’t help them through the pains of labor. I’m really hoping HypnoBirthing techniques come through for me! I trust that it definitely has the potential to, and that I am capable of experiencing a gentle, natural birth. Whew, I guess I needed to get out some of those affirmations!

Back to the tour. We saw the regular and special care nurseries, as well as an L&D room and a postpartum room. Oh, and the nurse leading the tour showed us *those doors* we would go through should we encounter the need for a cesarean section. Jason asked if he could go back, and the nurse explained that yes, under most circumstances, unless it is a quick emergency.

The L&D room stunk like feces! It was horrible. Luckily all the rooms weren’t like that. Maybe it hadn’t been fully cleaned yet. There had just been several discharges. Anyway we saw the Jacuzzi-tub, bench the birth companion (Jason) would be able sleep on, and different cribs the babies would sleep in. I asked also to see a birth ball and birthing stool. I gave the stool a try and it was quite comfortable. I’ll be able to imagine myself using it in my birthing imagery.

At the end we saw a newborn through the nursery glass getting his first bath. It seemed a little sad that the proud papa was outside the glass with us, just watching. Nobody else was in the nursery so I suppose he could have asked to be there. Maybe he didn’t think to ask. The nurse sure seemed awfully rough with his bath! He was all red from crying so hard aww.

30 Week Belly Bump

30w 1d - Hospital "Policy?"

Wow! A lot is happening this week! On Sunday the other Hypnobirthing couple expressed their desire for the dad to stay with their baby for their pediatric exam. Huh? That doesn't happen automatically? The ped doesn't do the exam in the room? Nope, it's done in the nursery. WHY?? Well apparently 1 excuse is that the lighting is pretty terrible in the L&D/recovery rooms to be able to check the baby's color very well. And essentially it comes down to "physician preference" and convenience. I was told by a nurse that if it is not busy in the nursery, the father may go inside the nursery with the doctor during the exam. If it's too busy, it's a confidentiality violation for him to be there! OH come on! So he would have to stand outside the glass and watch. Not acceptable in our opinions.

I may try calling the pediatric offices who are on call at this hospital to "get a feel" for which practice may be more flexible and possibly come to the room. Even if I don't get around to calling, and even if nobody wants to "bend," we will not allow "Pason" to leave without 1 of us by his/her side! Unless, of course, I am alone and so exhausted that I absolutely cannot function!

Ain't nuttin' easy... ;)

30w 0d - Pre-Registration

We pre-registered at the hospital this evening and asked a few more "newbie parent" questions. I signed up for a volunteer, on-call doula, and the registrar asked which family nurse-lactation consultant (LC) I would want to come visit me at home around day 3 or 5. Whaaaaat? I am so impressed they do this! I don't think the hospital closer to home offers this personal service! You can call the other hospital's LCs, but they don't plan to visit each mom automatically!

I've heard a paid doula is *so* worth the investment, but we're not going for it. I'm crossing fingers tightly that the volunteer doula service will be able to come through and that there will be one available for me!

30w 0d - "Pason" This Week

• Your baby now weighs about 3.5 lbs (1600g) and measures about 18 inches (40cm) in total and about 11.2 inches (28cm) from crown to rump.
• Your baby's increasing size means that she has less room to move around in your uterus.
• Your baby could already be moving into the head-down position.
• Your baby's lungs are maturing and their lining, which prevents air sacs from collapsing, is growing. This lung development means that your baby would have a much greater chance of survival if he were born prematurely.
• About 16 fluid ounces of blood are flowing through the wall of your uterus to the site of the placenta, though your blood never mixes with your baby's blood. It is separated by the placental barrier which is a very thin wall. Water, nutrients and waste are exchanged across this barrier at a rate of 0.3 fluid ounces per second.
• Your baby swallows amniotic fluid and urinates.
• Your baby's ears are sufficiently developed to hear and recognize your voice, the voices of other family members as well as familiar musical tunes.

Source: http://preg.fertilityfriend.com

29w 5d - Last Hypnobirthing Class

Today we finished our 5th and final hypnobirthing class. Of the 3 couples, 1 of the couples still hadn't shown by 15 minutes after our start time. The instructor called them at home and she said that the mother-to-be sounded "odd," but that they were coming and to start without them. Fifteen minutes later we were getting settled for class and they walked in with their baby! Mateo was born about 3 weeks "early"--on our anniversary, the 25th, at 6 lb 14 oz. Isn't God great??

A. used many of the vizualization techniques she had learned in class and never requested medical pain relief--even with Pitocin! She felt pressured to start the Pit due to the time when her membranes had ruptured. (Of course, in other countries where the childbirth "practice" seems to be leaps ahead, they allow a mom to labor for 2-3 days after her water breaks before worrying too much about infection. But anyway, that's another post!) Long story short, she ended up with a sort of homebirth in the hospital! She had labored a good bit in the tub/jaccuzzi and was alone (with her husband half asleep sitting on the floor) in the tub when she felt their son ready to arrive! She trusted her instincts and gave birth right there, half kneeling and half standing in the tub. It was such a beautiful and inspiring story, especially since she didn't even finish our course! It was truly a surprise to see them walk in with their beautiful baby Mateo. Congratulations A. & B.!

In our actual class after A., B., & Mateo left, we covered the final stage techniques, other birthing positions, more in depth birth companion instruction, and even how to use Hypnobirthing if you must have interventions such as Pitocin! A. and B. practically taught our class this evening!

I have only great things to say about the course and our instructor. Please contact me if you have questions about HypnoBirthing or Hypnobabies. Now I just need to get back to a regular practice schedule!!

29w 3d - Latest "Down"

I discoverd this week that I am suffering from a condition called diastasis recti. I had pretty bad pain in my upper abdominal muscle area under my sternum for 2 days. That is mostly gone, but a numb feeling on my skin still remains. Yet another fun pregnancy "benefit" (hehe) that everyone neglects to tell you!

29w 0d - "Pason" This Week

• Your baby now weighs about 3 lbs (1400g), measures about 10.8 (27cm) inches from crown to rump and measures about 17 inches (38cm) from head to toe.
• Your baby is probably aware of your Braxton Hicks contractions, which you experience regularly, even when you do not notice them.
• By this time, your baby is very active and you feel its movements frequently.
• Your baby is still practicing breathing movements which have now become rhythmic.
• Sometimes your baby gets the hiccups when she accidentally swallows amniotic fluid the wrong way.
• She is getting fatter and plumper. On an ultrasound, you can see your baby's activities quite easily.
• Your baby has periods of rest and periods of activity now. Your baby is probably most active when you are trying to rest.

Source: http://preg.fertilityfriend.com

28w 2d - Ups & Downs

I had my 28-week appointment today. I'll try to interweave the details below!

Downs

• "Failed" the hemoglobin (iron) blood draw today. They like to see it at 11 in pregnancy and mine is currently 10.6. I am not surprised as I know I have been feeling more tired. According to the midwife, Donna, it takes 120 days for your consumption to reflect results in a blood test! So what I change now will affect my post-birth recovery, ability to breastfeed, emotional well being, energy level, etc. at that time period. A friend has the same problem and finds natural remedies whenever possible. She has told me about a product called Floradix that is also pumped with great mommy herbs and is not constipating! I think I will give it a go.
  

Ups

• Passed the GTT - glucose tolerance test today. YAY! My number was a 134, and their threshold is 135.
• "Pason's" heartbeat was around 134.
• My belly measured 28 cm--"right on" for 28 weeks.
  
• 3 generous friends and family have offered to host baby showers! So far they are all scheduled in December!! I am so humbled and grateful.
  

28w 0d - "Pason" This Week

• Your baby now weighs about 2.7 lbs (1.2kg), measures about 10.4 inches (26cm) from crown to rump, and is around 16.7 inches (42cm) long. He is plumper and rounder, and his head and body are beginning to be in proportion.
• Your baby now uses all of his senses. He can see, taste, and recognize touch and the sound of your voice.
• During the last trimester, your baby will receive antibodies from you through your placenta that will provide immunity from many diseases.
• Your baby's adrenal glands are producing androgen-like substances. Androgens are normally male sex hormones, but in late pregnancy, when they reach the placenta they are turned into estrogen which in turn stimulates the production of prolactin in your body. Prolactin is the hormone needed for milk production. In this exchange, your baby is beginning to stimulate milk production in your breasts so that when he is born there will be food waiting for him.

Source: http://preg.fertilityfriend.com

27w 0d - "Pason" This Week

• Your baby weighs about 2.5 lbs (1.1kg) and is about 10 inches (25cm) from crown to rump and 15 inches (38 cm) long from head to toe.
• At this time, the baby has tastebuds which allow it to distinguish between sweet, sour and bitter tastes.
• Brain tissue and brain development increases at this time as your baby grows the folds and grooves needed for a developed brain.
• Eyebrows and eyelashes are probably present and the hair on your baby's head is growing longer.
• Your baby's body is filling out, getting a bit fatter as fat deposition continues, but it is still somewhat red and wrinkled.
• Your baby is big enough for his presentation to be determined. That is, your caregiver can probably tell how your baby is oriented in your uterus. He may be breech (bottom down) or head first. If your baby is in a breech position now, there is no need to worry as there is still plenty of room and time for your baby to change positions.
• Your baby can feel pain and respond to it in the same way as a full term baby.

Source: http://preg.fertilityfriend.com

Razor Update 3

This one is way overdue, but finally we have a somewhat concrete answer. Razor has had lots of trouble in the same leg since his surgery. However, his surgery was very successful and did not fail. Turns out his extreme pain that developed recently is from the head of his femur (upper leg bone). After taking another set of x-rays, our vet, who consulted with 3 or 4 other vets also, is fairly certain he has bone cancer (which is typically very aggressive). It is possible that his surgery sped up the attack of it. It is also possible that he has an infection from the patella (knee) surgery, but that is more unlikely. He is currently on an antibiotic and Prednisone. The long term affects of Pred do not look very appealing. But for now we have decided to take the situation day by day and not put him through any more x-rays (which require sedation) or testing. Dr. Bowman wanted to x-ray his chest to see if it has spread there yet. We don't see where that will gain him any quality of life or time, so we have declined to know at this point. We appreciate your continued prayers for his comfort and happiness in the days, weeks, months? ahead. We love you, Razor!

26w 6d - HypnoBirthing® Class Update

We have already had 3 classes! Only 2 more left. We have 2 other couples in our class who are due around mid-November, so we've had to "crunch" several classes together. That's OK--it just gives us more time to practice our relaxation, visualization, and deepening techniques!

Our class focuses on the philosophy of the natural birth using the HypnoBirth® techniques. I am loving it! We've worked on releasing fears we are facing about childbirth and parenthood, because fear only results in tension, which results in pain, which results in more fear! The never ending cycle... The fear and tension result in the "fight or flight" reflex and type of adrenaline which is definitely not conducive to childbirth! If you are afraid and tense, your cervix is only going to be that much tighter to not allow the baby a relaxed, welcoming door to the world.

Then of course we are also working on relaxation techniques. Sometimes our instructor will read us scripts to help us learn to relax. So far I have come really close to falling asleep on two different occasions! I guess that's really relaxed! She said that's OK as long as I "come back" to the room when she prompts us, which indicates I subconsciously heard her and wasn't fully asleep.

There is so much more to these classes than I'm able to write about here. I'm definitely inspired and I'm closer to being empowered to have the childbirth experience I desire. If you have questions about HypnoBirthing® please do not hesitate to ask me!

26w 0d - "Pason" This Week

• Your baby weighs more than 2 lbs (1000g), measures 9.6 inches from crown to rump (24cm) and its total length is about 15.3 inches (34cm). If your baby were born now, she would have about an 85% chance of surviving. Nonetheless, your baby still needs another 13 weeks of in utero development to be considered full term.
• Your baby's eyes, no longer fused shut, are now open.
• Your baby's skin still has a very wrinkled appearance, but it is protected and nourished by the covering of vernix, a waxy coating that keeps the skin supple.
• Your baby looks almost like a full term baby, but is still much thinner and smaller than she will be at birth.

Source: http://preg.fertilityfriend.com

HypnoBirthing® Class Outline

I found this outline of our HB class:

UNIT #1: Building A Positive Expectancy

• Introduction
• HypnoBirthing®
• Rationale for comfortable birth
• How the Uterus Works
• What's Wrong with Labor?
• How Fear Affects Labor
• Origin of Pain Concept
• Hypnosis and Deep Relaxation/Creating
• Positive Birth Outcomes
• HypnoBirthing® videos of labor & birth

UNIT #2: Falling in Love with Your Baby/Preparing Mind & Body

• HypnoBirthing® Stories - 3 and 4
• Prenatal Bonding Techniques
• Relaxation and Visualization for birthing
• Rapid and instant relaxation techniques
• Breathing techniques for birthing
• Progressive, Instant, and Deepening Techniques
• Hypnotic Relaxation and Visualizations

UNIT #3: Getting Ready to Welcome your Baby

• Looking at your estimated due date
• Making hospital, home or birthing center plans
• Preparing the Body for Birthing
• Light touch birthing massage
• Birth Stories Videos 5 and 6
• Preparing your birth preferences sheets
• When Baby is Ready
• Avoiding Artificial Induction of Labor
• Your Body Working for You And with You
• Releasing Negative Emotions, Fears and Limiting Thoughts

UNIT #4: Overview of Childbirth - A Labor of Love

• Birth Stories Video 7 and 8
• Onset of Labor--Thinning and Opening Phase
• Arriving at the Hospital
• As Labor Moves along
• Birth Companion's Role
• If Labor rests or slows
• Protecting the Natural Birthing Experience
• As Birthing advances--Nearing Completion
• Birth Rehearsal Imagery

UNIT# 5: Birthing--Breathing Love, Bringing Life

• Birthing Video
• Mother Nears Completion--thinning and opening phase ends
• Birth Explained Simply
• Breathing Baby Down
• Birth of the placenta
• Bonding with your baby
• Forest Fantasy Metaphor

Source: http://www.hypnobirthing.org

25w 1d - "Pason" This Week

• Your baby weighs just under 2 pounds (850g) and could possibly survive if delivered now. Your baby measures approximately 9.2 inches (23cm) from crown to rump.
• He is growing fast and gaining weight now. His skin is less transparent and is becoming opaque as fat builds up.
• Your baby's heart is beating 120 to 160 beats per minute, as you have already heard at several doctor or midwife visits.
• Until now, your baby's eyes have been sealed shut, but he reopens them this week. The eyes are almost fully formed and the retinas contain all the layers they will have when your baby is born. Your baby's eyes are blue right now, no matter the ethnic origin or eye-color of you and your partner since eyes do not acquire their final color until months after birth.
• Your baby is lean right now, but is getting fatter all the time as fat is being deposited. Your baby's skin is getting thicker and paler and is becoming less red and wrinkled as more fat is deposited.
• Your baby has eyebrows, eyelashes and fingernails, though all are short and need to grow more.

Source: http://preg.fertilityfriend.com

24wk 6d - Weight Gain to Date

The white lines indicate the normal 25-35 lb gain.

24 Week Belly Bump

24w 4d - Ups & Downs

Downs

• still a lot on that pre-baby "to-do" list
• only 108 days left (+/-)
  
• lower self body image :-/
  
• sooo many pediatricians and family doctors - just 1 baby!
• increased appetite; can't get enough to eat at work
• to vaccinate... delay... or not to vaccinate?
  

Ups

• good midwife appointment Wednesday
• BP 118/70
• belly measurement/fundal height right on target (24 cm)
• FHT (fetal heart tone) 144 bpm
• received hospital pre-registration info. discussed necessary hospital fetal monitoring
• received glucose drink for consumption prior to 28-wk appointment and glucose blood test
• more frequent baby kicks
• HypnoBirthing classes start in 1 week (hopefully - we've had scheduling conflicts)
• reading HypnoBirthing: The Mongan Method - very inspirational!
  

24w 0d - "Pason" This Week

• Your baby now weighs around 1.5 lbs (700g), and measures about 8.8 inches (22cm) from crown to rump, but this varies from baby to baby.
• Your doctor should be able to hear your baby's heartbeat, using a stethoscope or Doppler ultrasound device. If your partner puts his ear right on your belly in the right position, he might even be able to hear it unaided if there is no background noise.
• Your baby sleeps and wakes in a more regular pattern now. You may notice that your baby is particularly active when you are resting.
• The center of your baby's bones are beginning to harden.
• If your baby is a boy, the testes will start to descend into the scrotum now. If your baby is a girl, the vagina will begin to hollow out and mature now.
• Your baby can make a fist now and may already have a preference for the right or left hand.
• With modern medical technology, your baby would have a chance to survive if it were born now.

Source: http://preg.fertilityfriend.com

23w 0d - "Pason" This Week

• Your baby is now about 8.4 inches from crown to rump (21cm) and weighs about 1.2 pounds (530g).
• Your baby's face and body now look more like a full-term baby. She now looks close to how she will look at birth.
• The eyes, though they are still closed, are now close together on the front of the face and the ears are in their final position. Eyelashes are fairly well-developed and hair is growing on your baby's head.
• Your baby's movements are becoming more restricted now as she fills up the uterus more. Cartwheels and somersaults inside the amniotic sac are no longer possible, but she can still hold the umbilical cord and touch and feel around her. Though your baby is already living in tight quarters in the amniotic sac, she will soon have even less room to move around.
• Her vital organs are now quite mature. However, since the lungs are not yet fully formed, your baby would have breathing problems if born prematurely at this stage.
• Your baby is becoming increasingly conscious of the world outside and may feel startled when you are startled.
• Your baby may alternate between having very active and very calm periods.
• Your baby may have facial expressions such as frowning, squinting and pursing of the lips.

Source: http://preg.fertilityfriend.com

A Hypno Birth Video

Here's just 1 version of a hypno birth. (No fear, nothing too graphic here.)



Her blog is here: www.5rips.typepad.com

JMU Team Spirit

Now this is team spirit! Go Dukes!

22w 0d - "Pason" This Week

• Your baby now weighs almost 1 lb (450g) and measures about 8 inches (20cm) from crown to rump.
• She is becoming plumper as her fat is being laid down at a high rate, but her skin is still wrinkled and reddish. The wrinkled and loose appearance of her skin is due to the faster production of her skin than the fat that fills it out. The reddish appearance of her skin is due to the deposition of pigment as her skin loses its translucent appearance.
• Your baby can kick and punch vigorously by now, but she may also be gently feeling the umbilical cord and rubbing her hands and face against the inside membrane of the amniotic sac that holds her.
• She is still swallowing amniotic fluid (which provides an important nutritional supplement to the nutrition she gets from you via the placenta) and is passing some of it as urine. The swallowing of the amniotic fluid may cause your baby to get the hiccups and you may even be able to feel this as her body jumps inside yours.
• The lanugo hair on your baby's body may turn darker at this time.

Source: http://preg.fertilityfriend.com

21w 6d - Ups & Downs

Downs

• SI (sacroiliac) joint pain
• Heartburn
• Hemorrhoids
  
• Sooo many car seats (and other products) and cool names; just 1 baby
• Home renovations
• So many pregnancy and childbirth books; just 4 months left to read them
• So many breast pumps; um, just 2 breasts
  

Ups

• Naps
• Healthy ultrasound reports
• Helpful and generous parents with home renovations
• Pregnancy clothes that finally fit
• Discussing baby names with the father of your child (we're accepting suggestions--feel free to comment!)
• Fetal movement
• even better: Fetal movement when your hubby feels it on the outside too
  

For Fun... Play Our Baby Game

Guess what gender we're having and more! Check out this site to place your vote: http://expectnet.com/games/kitefamily

Please Play Our Baby Game

Guess what gender we're having and more! Check out this site to place your vote: http://expectnet.com/games/kitefamily

21w 0d - "Pason" This Week

• Your baby measures about 7.6 inches (19cm) from crown to rump and weighs about 12.25 ounces (350g).
• Eyebrows have developed.
• His digestive system now functions in a rudimentary manner. Undigested amniotic fluid passes into his bowel which he will eventually excrete after birth. Your baby can suck and swallow and may even suck his thumb.
• Your baby's senses are developing, especially his sense of touch. He can feel his face and stroke his arms and legs.

Source: http://preg.fertilityfriend.com

20 Week Belly Bump

20w 4d - Ultrasound Yesterday

We had our first ultrasound yesterday since our 6-week viability ultrasound! It was pretty amazing, but I have to admit I am still feeling a little detached. Perhaps I will be one of those moms who takes a few weeks post-birth to really bond with her baby. We shall see! I have been mostly pretty matter-of-fact about most of this experience. Jason & I are both getting more and more excited, though.

We invited both of our mothers to attend the ultrasound. They got so excited they could barely stand it! As you can see, at the end we got a 4D real-time view, and the grandma's were giggling about the baby waving at the grandmas! I hope there might be another opportunity for an ultrasound, as I know my dad was disappointed there wasn't room for him to watch. He is so cute about it all--being "macho," not wanting to appear excited but once in a while he'll reveal it!

We all arrived early, and we were called back early. The technician has 22 years experience and was very pleasant and informative with everything she saw. All looks great! She even pointed out "Pason's" bladder growing bigger throughout the half-hour session. "Pason" measures in the 80th percentile woah! Hopefully I will not have a huge baby! She said it didn't necessarily mean that I would deliver a large one! The estimated weight is 1 lb 0 oz, but we forgot to ask the length. My due date according to the ultrasound is 1/4/08 (ovulation due date is 1/8/08). Jason is adamantly against a Christmas or New Year's baby... But alas, all beyond my/our control!

Immediately following the ultrasound we met with a third midwife in the practice, Martie Jones, who reviewed the report and confirmed that all is well. She explained more about the midwifery approach to childbirth and re-confirmed for me that their typical attitude is that all is "normal" until proven otherwise, whereas physicians are more likely to assume something is wrong before allowing the process to progress naturally and as the mother wishes. Of course, there are exceptions! She explained I would be welcomed to move about as I wish during labor (walking, different positions, jacuzzi, etc), but that they will use the technology available to only occasionally monitor the baby as needed. Sounds reasonable to me! (Forgot to ask her if I am allowed to eat, though.) I am trying to keep an open mind to be at least somewhat mentally prepared for anything, though.

I asked her about the c-section rates. She didn't know exact numbers, but approximately 30% for the hospital where I plan to deliver (RMH), and 15% for the practice.

She also mentioned that I will receive the RhoGAM shot around 28 weeks (2 months away). I am still confused on the potential harms to the baby of it. But, given all of the medical based benefits, I am leaning toward accepting it at this point.

Next up is our hypnobirthing class, taught by Kate Anderson. I'm really excited and I'm sure it will get a dialog going between me and Jason about fears and concerns we might have about the day. I'm sure the class will be one more step to help us make this feel real. We're having a baby in 4 months!

Oh yeah, I almost forgot! I suppose you're wondering about the gender... I'll just say that one of us found out while we were there on a piece of paper and an extra picture, as we couldn't agree to find out or not find out... Is the suspense "killing" you yet...? :-)

20 Week Ultrasound Pictures 8/24/07

Lil' "Pason's" Feet (the tech drew a picture of their shape on the bottom of the printout for us)



















Body & Face - "Pason's" head is on the right. Rib lines are on the left. It's looking to its left at you.

















4D Face & Fist!

20w 0d - "Pason" This Week

• Your baby weighs about 10.5 ounces (300g) and measures about 7.2 inches (18cm) from crown to rump. He still moves about freely in amniotic fluid.
• Your baby may respond to external sounds, such as the music you are listening to or your voice.
• Your baby has developed some red blood cells already. The white blood cells that your baby needs to fight infections are being manufactured.
• He is developing taste buds on his tongue.
• His digestive system is sufficiently advanced to absorb water and sugar from the amniotic fluid that he swallows and pass it to his large bowel.
• Your baby has lanugo hair on his forehead and upper lip and his eyebrows are thickening.
• Vernix (the waxy substance that covers and protects your baby's skin) accumulates on your baby's eyebrows.
• Your baby's eyes are still sealed shut.
• Your baby continues to grow and develop and his kicking is getting stronger now.

Source: http://preg.fertilityfriend.com

Razor Update 2

Let's see, this month has been so busy! Last Friday (Aug. 10) Razor got his staples out, and his re-check with Dr. Bowman was this past Wednesday. Dr. Bowman has put him in his top 10% of patients with this type of surgery according to his recovery progress! Yay Razor! And now his physical therapy regimen:

Week 1 (8/15-8/21): 2 minutes off leash outside for elimination. 10-15 minute leash walk. No jumping on or off deck. (We need to try to make sure he goes slowly on leash up and down the deck stairs.)

Week 2 (8/22-8/28): 5 minutes off leash outside for elimination. 15-20 minute leash walk. No jumping on or off deck.

Week 3 (8/29-9/4): unlimited time off leash (with no other dogs). 30-minute leash walk. No jumping on or off deck.

9/5: Call Dr. Bowman to discuss progress!

19w 0d - Ups & Downs

Downs

• It is still a little tough to dress for work since I'm too frugal to go out and buy more pants!
• I still don't look "totally" pregnant yet. (I think I have some people guessing!)
• Headaches are still around about every week or so...
  

Ups

• I finally felt the baby moving--twice this past week!!
• We're expecting to begin our hypnobirthing classes on or around September 9. We'll have 5, 2.5-hour classes in Harrisonburg, probably with 1 other couple. I'm so excited!
  

19w 0d - "Pason" This Week

• Your baby weighs about 9 ounces (260g) and measures about 5.6 to 6.4 inches (14 to 16cm) from crown to rump.
• Her skin is thickening and developing multiple layers- the epidermis and the dermis, the deeper layer where it will form fat. Your baby is now also developing a waxy protective coating for her skin called vernix caseosa. The vernix protects your baby's skin which is continuously submersed in amniotic fluid. Vernix, which is particularly thick around the eyebrows is held in place by tiny downy hairs called lanugo.
• Your baby can now grip with her fists. Toenails and scalp hair are growing.
• At this point, it may be possible to determine the baby's sex by ultrasound, if the baby cooperates, but the ultrasound technician will rarely guarantee the sex based on the ultrasound results as mistakes are sometimes made at an early ultrasound.
• You can hear the baby's heartbeat with a Doppler ultrasound device or a stethoscope.

Source: http://preg.fertilityfriend.com

A Beautiful Tribute

This video is too touching for me not to share. You may want to grab a tissue.

18w 2d - First Feeling of Movement!

Exactly when we reached 18 weeks on Tuesday, I felt the first movement or "flutter!" It was so amazing. I was just leaning back in the chair to get my hair washed at my hair appointment! I later found out the girl who washes my hair is 9 weeks pregnant with twins! How ironic!?! Or some kind of God breeze. God is so good! It was just 1 little "tap" in the upper left of my uterus. My friend thinks 'Pason' will be one of those babies who likes to hang out up under my ribs and keep me really miserable. Teehee, we shall see!

18w 2d - "Pason" This Week

• Your baby measures about 5.2 to 6 inches (13-15cm) from crown to rump and weighs about 7 ounces (200g).
• The buds for the permanent teeth are forming behind those that have already developed for the first teeth.
• Your baby's nervous system and brain development continue at a spectacular pace. By this week, your baby's motor neurons, which connect muscle to the brain, have grown into place so that your baby can consciously direct her movements. Millions of neurons inside your baby's brain are growing and forming connections and the nerves in her body are being covered in a fatty substance called myelin.
• Your baby's ears are now placed on the sides of her head and her limbs are now in proportion. Your baby's tiny foot is just one inch long, but is in perfect proportion to the rest of her leg.
• Your baby can hear your voice and recognize it.

Source: http://preg.fertilityfriend.com

Razor Update

He got a new bandage Thursday and then another one again on Saturday (when the vet got to have a look at it also). Razor did start chewing it off Friday, so we had to buy him an e-collar. He can still reach it, but at least it's a deterrant. Tomorrow we can cut off his final bandage! He is scheduled to have his 20-some staples out on Thursday already.

17w 1d - "Pason" This Week

• Your baby weighs about 5.25 ounces (150g) and now measures 5 to 5.6 inches (12.5 to 14cm) from crown to rump. He is practicing breathing by gulping amniotic fluid into its lungs. This helps the lung's development so they will function at birth. Your baby may also be sucking his thumb.
• Meconium is present in your baby's bowels. There is hair present on your baby's scalp and sweat glands are developing.
• Your baby is becoming more sensitive to the outside world and is moving around, kicking and punching. As there is still plenty of space in your uterus, your baby can move around a lot, sitting cross-legged, reclining or even turning somersaults!
• He can probably hear by now as the ossicles (the bones that pass sound to the inner ear) have hardened and the portion of the brain that receives signals from the brain is under development. Your baby is getting used to the sound of your heartbeat and blood passing through the umbilical cord, but may be startled by loud noises. Your baby is aware of some things in the outside world, including sounds and light. If you let the sun shine on your belly, your baby may be able to perceive a warm red glow.

Source: http://preg.fertilityfriend.com