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!