2/27/05 - The Third Trimester

I'm officially in the home stretch now at 28 weeks. In some ways it feels like forever, in others like the blink of an eye. I'm glad I've been keeping this journal because as I go back and read it, I realize I already forgot about alot of the stuff I described at the beginning. There's no denying my enormous belly now, and all non-maternity clothes are history. I wear tennis shoes without laces because it's too difficult to tie them. Complete strangers ask when I'm due without hesitation. Thank God none of them have tried to pat my belly yet. Only people I know have been so bold. I hope it stays that way. My friend Amber once grabbed my belly at a party and started talking to my belly button, saying "who's your favorite auntie?" Little Eva kicked in response, and she got so excited that she cried and told all her friends about it. It was really cute.

Time to Prepare

Thanks to all of Dave's hard work, the baby's room is painted a soft buttery yellow, and the popcorn ceiling has been scraped and retextured. Now we have to start setting up the furniture. I want it all to be white. We're buying a crib because we gave the one we got for free to a woman who takes in foster kids at our church. They've been sending her alot of babies for temporary placement recently, and she had nowhere to put them. I decided to use some of my birthday money to buy the "My Little Snoopy" crib set. It's much more feminine than the used "Baby Snoopy" set I bought off E-bay, and I'll alternate between the two while one is being washed. I have to start making plans pretty soon: what to bring to the hospital, what food to prepare and freeze in advance, what to have on hand those first few weeks when it will be tough to leave the house. We will also need to choose a pediatrician. Time to start getting recommendations from my friends with babies.

Natural Childbirth

I get all sorts of reactions from people when they find out I want to try and do this naturally. “You think that now, but JUST WAIT! You’ll be asking for drugs!” “This isn’t a contest, you know.” “There’s no special prize for going without meds.” “You don’t have to prove anything.” I agree for the most part, and if this was about trying to prove how tough I am, I would definitely change my mind. But this isn’t about that. It’s about the risks, like anything else. Most people simply decide they will get medical pain relief when they get to the hospital, and don’t prepare much beyond that. I know a girl who planned on having an epidural, but progressed so quickly she didn’t have time. She was caught completely off guard by having to deliver naturally. I figured that if I knew I was going to be thrown into deep water a mile from shore in exactly nine months, wouldn’t I want to learn how to swim? In Bradley class they teach you that EVERY woman reaches a point where she decides she can’t go any further, and will be most likely to ask for drugs. Problem is, this most often occurs during transition, the point at which you’re moments away from pushing and don’t realize it. With the help and encouragement of your birth team, they say, you can most likely get over this hump with no interventions, just like women have done for thousands of years before medicated birth became the norm. It’s insulting to tell women that their bodies aren't capable of doing this without medical intervention, or that you're masochistic or have ego problems if you want a natural birth. I simply want to prepare for all eventualities, avoid the domino effect of drug-induced side effects and keep my options open. The most important thing is a healthy mother and baby.

The Epidural Question

Most people I know just plan on having an epidural. That’s a fair choice, so long as you understand the risks and benefits. I may still go there if I need to. I won’t rule anything out completely. But I don’t want to just walk in the door of the hospital and say “hook me up!” I’ve learned that epidurals can affect your blood pressure or cause a drug-induced fever, which imitates an infection that requires antibiotics. Epidurals can also possibly slow down your labor, which means they have to use pitocin, a drug that makes contractions so powerful that it increases the likelihood the baby may go into distress and have to be taken by C-section. Epidurals may also reduce your ability to push, which means they may have to use forceps or vacuum extraction, or C-section. There’s also the chance that the epidural won’t take effect, or may only numb one side while the other side feels everything. Once an epidural is in place, a mother has to be strapped to a continuous fetal monitor and catheter, which means she’s pretty much stuck in bed for the whole labor. It’s also possible that the baby will be lethargic from drugs, require observation and have difficulty nursing. Again, I’m not saying that an epidural is not an option, or that it’s a bad thing. I know it can truly be God’s gift to women! If I have an incredibly long labor and run out of gas, I’ll probably go for it. But it’s good to know what you’re choosing in advance.

2/23/05 - Coughs & Sniffles

I’ve been fighting a cold all week, but it’s finally moved into my chest and I had to call in sick for work. I feel badly because one co-worker’s Achilles’ tendon is bothering her and she’s supposed to stay off her feet, while another is on vacation. These things never happen at convenient times. I haven’t been able to sleep the past couple nights. I’ve allowed myself one Benadryl Allergy before bed to stop my nose running so I don’t wake up with a sore throat, but I can’t take any more than that because antihistamines dry you out and can lower my amniotic fluid level. I use a humidifier and try to prop myself up with pillows to breathe, but can’t get comfortable and end up tossing and turning. Dave has been very patient and understanding, even though he’s a light sleeper and frequently can’t get back to sleep if I disturb him. He’s also had to put up with my Snoogle body pillow between us for months so I don’t have to crawl over it to get to the bathroom. The other night he woke up with me around 2am, came around to my side of the bed, gave me a hug and prayed for me and the baby. We ended up curled up on the couch in the middle of the night, watching “When Harry Met Sally”, which was one of his Valentine’s day gifts to me. It made me drowsy enough to finally go back upstairs and sleep. Isn’t he sweet?

Hiccups

I've gotten used to Eva's regular acrobatics. She gets especially energetic when I play loud music or eat something sweet. She's also graduated beyond a simple thump on my innards. I can't identify elbows or feet yet, but I occasionally feel this bump move from one side of my belly to the other. It looks like in a cartoon, when Bugs Bunny is burrowing underground and all you can see is the moving lump. Totally weird. My friend says it looks like an alien movie. The other day the baby had her first bout of hiccups. It took me awhile to figure out what it was. I kept feeling this rhythmic jab in my side and thought it might be her heartbeat at first, it was so regular. At least she's got rhythm!

Braxton Hicks

I've started getting Braxton Hicks contractions. They're pretty mild, but my belly feels hard as a rock during one. I haven't told my co-workers because there's a couple of people who have asked me to write down emergency numbers in case I go into labor. The hospital is only 10 minutes away, and I'm not lucky enough to be able to deliver a baby in half an hour, but some people get scared by too many TV images of laboring women spontaneously delivering in taxi cabs and elevators.

2/19/05 - Bradley Class

One of the ladies in our childbirth class had her baby last week. She says she’s on cloud nine right now. Makes the rest of us sort of jealous that we’ve still got a ways to go. I’m really enjoying the classes and have learned a lot. So has Dave. So far they’ve covered the stages of labor, comfort measures and different positions for each stage, how to know how far along you are, when to go to the hospital, how to avoid unnecessary complications, the risks and benefits of common hospital interventions, and breastfeeding and newborn care. They always show a birth video at the end of the class. Dave says they should show one of those to every junior high boy in America, because it would make them think twice about sex and give them a whole new respect for women. LOL!

Too Much Information?

There’s this lady at my work who’s incredibly squeamish about anything pregnancy or child related. I never mention anything gross, but she’s obviously overly sensitive. My other co-workers say there are just some people who aren’t cut out to be parents, and thank God she’s never had kids. She has absolutely no maternal instinct whatsoever , and no compassion for anyone but her cats. A while back I mentioned with joy that the baby was kicking, and her automatic response was “Eww, that’s gross! TMI!” Gross?? Too much information? There’s a lot about pregnancy that’s TMI, but I don’t consider the baby kicking to be one of them. If she only knew. Pregnancy isn’t for the squeamish! I’ve a good mind to tell her “You want TMI? OK, here it is! My boobs have ugly stretch marks, they itch constantly, and have started leaking. One is suddenly bigger than the other. My nose runs constantly and bleeds spontaneously for no reason. I have to pee every 10 seconds. I get heartburn, gas, and bloating on a regular basis. And I get to top it off, I get to finish this adventure with childbirth! Let me tell you all about that….” Wonder if she’d pass out.

Preparing for Parenthood

Mom and Dad gave me “Parenting Isn’t For Cowards” and “The Strong Willed Child” for my birthday. My doula recommended “The Happiest Baby On The Block” for newborn care information. I just finished "Good Nights", about the pros, cons, and safety tips for allowing the baby to sleep in your bed. (I think it will be easier while I'm breastfeeding, or I won't get any sleep!) I've spent so much time reading and preparing for labor, birth, breastfeeding, infant care and parenting, but it still hasn't sunk in that we're going to be parents. Even when we went to register at Babies R Us, playing with different strollers and car seats to see what we liked, it almost seemed like we were shopping for someone else. I just can't picture myself needing these things so soon. I don't ooh and aah over cute baby clothes in the store because it doesn't seem real yet. It's one of the reasons I'd like to get the baby's room finished. As soon as Dave gets done scraping and re-texturing the ceiling in there, I want to start setting up the baby furniture. I remember having vivid dreams of motherhood when my little sister and brother were born, back in high school. But now that I'm pregnant, I'm disappointed that I haven't had any of the typical baby dreams. Weird dreams, of course, but none about little Eva. It kinda bums me out.

Aches & Pains

My hips and lower back give me alot of pain these days. I get a sharp pinch sometimes when I try to bend over or change positions. I keep my snoogle pillow between my legs when I sleep, but apparently it's not enough to keep my hips aligned. When it gets bad I give my chiropractor a visit. He says the hormones designed to loosen my ligaments and joints for birth make it easier for my back to go out, and I shouldn't wait so long between visits if I'm in pain. His wife just had a little boy four months ago, and he had to adjust her frequently. It just gets expensive, and the adjustments don't hold very long right now. So I try to tough it out as long as I can, like when it starts to hurt from walking. It's started to affect my work at Ben Bridge. I can't lift the boxes of merchandise from the safe anymore, and it's really tough to get under-stock from low drawers or cabinets. I make sure to sit down frequently and not spend too much time bending over the cases. The other day I spent the morning redoing the window displays, and it completely wiped me out. I need to do something to boost my energy level.

2/15/05 - Turning 28

My Birthday was on Friday. It wasn't a great birthday to start. I had to work all day and ended up having a confrontation with my manager over some longstanding issues he hasn't dealt with. It got better when I got home. I decided to take a bath and ended up falling asleep in the tub. Then we put a pizza in the oven, and Dave gave me a much-needed backrub. The next night we went out with friends to Claim Jumper. Monday was Valentine's day, and Dave went all out. He ordered flowers and take-out from Chili's, rented a romantic movie, and made a comfortable nest with candles in front of the fireplace. I tried to slip into something more sexy, but with my big belly I ended up looking like Shamu in silk. Still, it was a very relaxing evening.

Glucose Scare

I failed my first gestational diabetes test and had to go back for the 3-hour glucose test. It was horrible. They make you come in first thing in the morning, on an empty stomach, to draw your blood, then they give you a double-dose of the sugar drink and draw your blood every hour for three hours. The stuff tastes like pure corn syrup, and it makes your blood sugar skyrocket so you feel shaky, and then plummet so you're totally wiped out. And they won't let you have anything but water until the test is done. I thought I was going to throw up and have to retake it. Thankfully the results came back negative. I never want to do that again.

2/10/05 - Trying To Stay Comfortable

I've been having trouble getting comfortable lately, and it makes me irritable. I can't stay in one position too long. If I'm sitting or lying down, my back or sides start to feel tight and ache. If I'm walking or standing alot, I get worn out quickly. My patience is short, and I catch myself getting irritated quickly, especially if Dave and I disagree on anything. Little things get under my skin alot quicker. I knew pregnancy makes you extra emotional, but I've been so even keel up to now I thought it would last. Now all of a sudden my fuse is getting shorter and I feel frustrated more easily. I'm sure some of has to do with having to exert more effort to move around and get things done. I'm also more klutzy, tripping on things, dropping stuff and bumping elbows, knees, and fingers. It's like permanent PMS.

Baby Snoopy Blues

Why did I have to fall in love with the most elusive nursery decor on the planet? You'd think with Snoopy being one of the most popular cartoon characters of all time, he'd be easier to track down. But the only things I can find to decorate the baby's room are online, scattered across different websites. My favorite nursery theme is "My Little Snoopy" by Lambs & Ivy, the most feminine looking pattern. I can only find it on Dreamtimebaby.com. I needed to register somewhere accessible, so I finally went to Babies 'R Us. Their registry can be accessed in the store or online. They have everything but Baby Snoopy, so it was a good compromise.

2/5/05 - Six Month Mark

I'm now at 25 weeks, partway into my sixth month. I've gained 15 pounds so far, which is just over half of what I'm supposed to gain by my due date. The baby is about a foot long now, and loves turning somersaults with her new limbs. I've started doing a prenatal yoga exercise video to help alleviate the aches in my sides and lower back. The stretches really help if I do them before bed so I can sleep more comfortably. Some of my pregnant friends can't wear their rings anymore, so I'm grateful that my wedding set still fits. Call me wierd, but I don't want to be seen this pregnant without a wedding band. It's just the principle of the thing. I see cute outfits on clearance when I take my lunch in the mall, and get kind of bummed I can't fit into anything. I watch skinny teen girls walk by in their cute tops, sporting their flat tummies with no stretch marks, and think "Enjoy it while it lasts, honey. Just you wait"! My cravings continue to be chocolate (especially cake) and cereal. Lucky Charms, Coco Puffs, Trix, and Honey Nut Cheerios are the big winners. I buy them in bulk at Sam's Club and eat them as snacks before bed as well as breakfast. Apparently little Eva has inherited her mother's chocoholic sweet tooth. I also crave seafood, which is one of the foods you're supposed to limit during pregnancy because of mercury levels. Fish tacos, tuna, shrimp, even McDonald's fish burger...you name it, I want it.

Doctor Dilemma

I'm really not sure what to do at this point about my doctor situation. I have been seriously considering switching doctors after my last appointment with one of the doctors in the group. I'm concerned that whoever is on duty when I go into labor will be unsupportive of my goals to have a natural, intervention-free birth. I met with doctor #5 this week, and she was very supportive and positive about the idea, so long as the baby is doing OK. That makes two out of five, but I'm not sure about the other three. This doctor suggested that I draw up a birth plan to go in my file. If my primary doctor signs off on it, she says, they will all honor it. I'll talk to my doula about it and see what she thinks.