I'm 33 weeks & one day along in my pregnancy, and I've started to feel my body practice & prepare for the big day. Last weekend I had my first braxton hicks contractions. My entire abdomen tightened & became rock hard during these isometric exercises. The second time it happened I had Darren feel my tummy. He thought it was so cool. It didn't hurt, just a flex-hold-release a few times & then that was enough for one day. These have happened a few times, but I hardly notice them unless I'm walking where they restrict my range of motion. Now this weekend I started to feel tinges of pain in between my pelvic bone. My best guess is this is my cervix thinning. All welcomed as a reminder that we are nearing the day when we will greet our little girl into the world.
And learning, we started our Child Birth Education Class last week. We have five consecutive classes, once a week. To be entirely honest, Darren & I are the most informed of our group. This kind of surprises me, as New Yorkers tend to be extremely studied. Preparing themselves for a class by reading all the books they can get their hands on before the curriculum begins. This group, maybe not so much the case. They do all seem very busy, with both parents working. Darren & I left feeling like we were at the top of the class. And he even said that he was so pleased that I have had the time to really focus, learn & make educated decisions about our pregnancy & birth plan well in advance of 33 weeks into our gestation. This class may just be a refresher of information for us. But that's fine.
In other great news, my friend Cookie just had her baby girl on Friday. Poppy Day was born around 10:35pm & weighed in at 6lb. She's a little peanut, & I really look forward to meeting her.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Get Out of My Head
So as some of you already know, I've been working diligently to keep the kind concerns of my midwives at arms length. My weight has been on their radar since sometime in January. It started off innocently enough by mentioning that I was still not back to my pre-pregnancy weight, after having lost 5 lb in the first 12 weeks thanks to morning sickness. They stated no concern at the time. Just followed the statement up with an, "oh but don't get carried away either. Your not eating for two. You should only be eating an additional 300 calories a day". I like to think of it as eating for 1 & 1/4. So I noted what they said & wasn't really worried about my eating habits anyway. I mostly just smiled & thought to myself, I'm the least of your worries. Truly knowing that I am.
I love food. I love really good food. And I've kind of been fanatical about it since I left home at 18 years old & began feeding myself. After college I worked with a food photographer, who just sent me deeper into my obsession with amazing food. And living in NYC has harbored such a deep appreciation for food that it's actually a reason to never leave the city. And a justifiable one at that. I can argue in this favor if given the opportunity.
Once my appetite returned, I was happy to dig back into the yummy foods I had been missing. First stop was India, with a healthy dose of Chicken Kurma, Potato Samosas, Shag Ponir, & Naan. It's true I do remember what I had for dinner 20 weeks ago. It was just that memorable. And if you had eaten one Cherrio at a time for 4 weeks straight, you too would remember the first supper you were able to put down & like it.
So last week when they again mentioned that I wasn't putting on weight at a rate that they were comfortable with, as they have said repeatedly at every appointment since January, I was officially annoyed. And then offended when they added the question, "Are you restricting calories?". I realized right then & there that they didn't trust me. And a growing anxiety began to build when I realized that without them trusting me, I couldn't fully trust them either. I left that appointment very upset & followed a series of sequences to put myself back on track. First stop call my husband. He was mad. Second stop call aunts & girlfriend. One aunt says oh just eat more & shut them up. The other says take it with a grain of salt, everyone in the medical provider community wants to fit their patients into a neat little "normal" box, and you're not fitting. Then my surrogate mom tells me I'm fine & arms me with ammo. Keep a food journal she says. That way they can actually see for themselves the quantity & quality of what you are eating. At the next appointment share it with them & ask for a referral to a nutritionist. Then the nutritionist can back up my caloric intake with regards to my weight gain. And finally tell them to stop it. From this moment forward a midwife's goal should not only be to ensure healthy fetal development, but to also foster confidence in the mother.
So that's what I am doing. And I have to admit that keeping a food journal is really annoying. And like my first supper post morning sickness, I look forward to my first meal post food journal. I'll probably remember exactly what I ate & likely know the portion too because I'm getting pretty good at eyeballing measured amounts. The guessing part has become a bit of a sport in an effort to maintain my sanity. I feel like I have won some invisible prize when I confirm the guess against my measuring cups & spoons. If anything this lesson will have prepared me for a career in a test kitchen.
I love food. I love really good food. And I've kind of been fanatical about it since I left home at 18 years old & began feeding myself. After college I worked with a food photographer, who just sent me deeper into my obsession with amazing food. And living in NYC has harbored such a deep appreciation for food that it's actually a reason to never leave the city. And a justifiable one at that. I can argue in this favor if given the opportunity.
Once my appetite returned, I was happy to dig back into the yummy foods I had been missing. First stop was India, with a healthy dose of Chicken Kurma, Potato Samosas, Shag Ponir, & Naan. It's true I do remember what I had for dinner 20 weeks ago. It was just that memorable. And if you had eaten one Cherrio at a time for 4 weeks straight, you too would remember the first supper you were able to put down & like it.
So last week when they again mentioned that I wasn't putting on weight at a rate that they were comfortable with, as they have said repeatedly at every appointment since January, I was officially annoyed. And then offended when they added the question, "Are you restricting calories?". I realized right then & there that they didn't trust me. And a growing anxiety began to build when I realized that without them trusting me, I couldn't fully trust them either. I left that appointment very upset & followed a series of sequences to put myself back on track. First stop call my husband. He was mad. Second stop call aunts & girlfriend. One aunt says oh just eat more & shut them up. The other says take it with a grain of salt, everyone in the medical provider community wants to fit their patients into a neat little "normal" box, and you're not fitting. Then my surrogate mom tells me I'm fine & arms me with ammo. Keep a food journal she says. That way they can actually see for themselves the quantity & quality of what you are eating. At the next appointment share it with them & ask for a referral to a nutritionist. Then the nutritionist can back up my caloric intake with regards to my weight gain. And finally tell them to stop it. From this moment forward a midwife's goal should not only be to ensure healthy fetal development, but to also foster confidence in the mother.
So that's what I am doing. And I have to admit that keeping a food journal is really annoying. And like my first supper post morning sickness, I look forward to my first meal post food journal. I'll probably remember exactly what I ate & likely know the portion too because I'm getting pretty good at eyeballing measured amounts. The guessing part has become a bit of a sport in an effort to maintain my sanity. I feel like I have won some invisible prize when I confirm the guess against my measuring cups & spoons. If anything this lesson will have prepared me for a career in a test kitchen.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Planning for Baby
Okay so in some ways planning for baby is like planning for a wedding. Everyone says that once you have decided on your dress, then stop shopping for that all important piece. Well I guess the same could be true for the stroller. I was not able to stop searching for the very best possible stroller choice in my quest to be ready for baby. I concluded, quite happily, months ago that the Maxi Cosi Perle was the best bet for us. But then today I got knocked on the head with the UPPAbaby G-Luxe. So many things are good about this stroller. For one it's 11 lb. The Maxi Cosi is 17 lb, ahhh. And secondly it's $25.00 cheaper, however the rain shield is not included (purchase price $20). Then I come to find out that Maxi Cosi has stopped making the Perle! Oh no, what does this mean? Now I'm feeling confused again. However, I cannot find anywhere that the UPPAbaby G-Luxe is compatible with an infant car seat. If it's not, well then all bets are off.
Okay, so I just found out on Consumer Report that it is not compatible with car seats. So HA! I was right with my dress pick, I mean my stroller pick all along. See people just stop shopping for the things you already know are right.
Okay, so I just found out on Consumer Report that it is not compatible with car seats. So HA! I was right with my dress pick, I mean my stroller pick all along. See people just stop shopping for the things you already know are right.
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