As of today, we're officially 23 weeks pregnant! I can't express how excited we are for the arrival of our little one and it's amazing how fast the first 23 weeks have gone. Since we're more than a little late in the game in documenting our pregnancy, I'll give you a quick run down of our first five months.
May 2007 ~ Our positive pregnancy test on May 17th came as a huge surprise to me as I thought I had my period and we were in for another month of trying. Jason was in Dallas, Texas on a business trip when I found out and it took every ounce of willpower in my body not to call him immediately! But I wanted to surprise him when he came home, so I exercised this rare control over myself. I had promised Jason that me and my dad would redo our closet while he was gone. My dad was awesome and took down all our old shelves and installed the new system that we bought. I found a gender neutral baby onesie and hung it prominently in our new closet with the positive pregnancy test attached. When Jason got home, I told him there was a surprise in our closet ...he thought it was new shelving! It took him a couple of seconds to realize what the onesie meant, but he was very happy and we had a little cry together.
June 2007 ~ While the first few weeks of pregnancy were good, I got very sick at the beginning of June. For about 4 days straight, I threw up constantly and couldn't keep any food or liquid down. I wasn't able to work and was really worried about getting through the next three months in such a state. After two doctor's appointments and the threat of being hospitalized to get an IV, I finally was prescribed an anti-nausea medication which was like a miracle! The first time I took it, I felt better within an hour and was able to eat and drink like a normal person. This resulted in Jason making a frantic run to McDonalds for a cheeseburger and fries...not the best food for my growing baby but I NEEDED it! Of course, need is relative...
I've been taking the medication since although I'm down to about 1/2 a pill every 2-3 days, which is fantastic! I would really like to be off the medication completely but throwing up incessantly is not manageable when I'm at work.
Also during the first week of June, I started bleeding which was extremely scary! This resulted in several doctor's appointments in which my hormone levels were checked and our first ultrasound on June 11th to check the baby and my uterus. The ultrasound experience was amazing even though the baby was only about the size of a peanut. Jason nicknamed the baby "Rugby Rumphead" as the ultrasound tech was considerate enough to label the baby's rump and head on the pictures. On a more serious note, we were very happy that the results were normal. However, it was unsettling that they couldn't identify a reason for the bleeding, which continued until the beginning of August. I was not able to exercise this entire time, which was disappointing as I really wanted to do prenatal yoga. Regardless, we were and we continue to be very thankful that it ended up being nothing and our baby is healthy today!
As a result of these complications, we quickly learned that my doctor wasn't a good fit for us and we immediately began looking for a new care provider. As it's very important to us to have as natural a pregnancy and delivery as possible, it made sense that we would be happier with the midwifery model of care, rather than a regular ob/gyn. We found a fantastic clinic with three midwives (who we love!) and they have been absolutely amazing.
Books I read in May and June:
The Complete Organic Pregnancy, Deirdre Dolan and Alexandra Zissu
Ina May's Guide to Childbirth, Ina May Gaskin
The Whole Pregnancy Handbook, Joel M. Evans, M.D., Ob/Gyn
The Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy
July 2007 ~ On July 18th, we had our 2nd ultrasound. Again, it's absolutely amazing to see a baby in your body! Everything was normal and we were very reassured as I was still bleeding at this time. On July 19th, we had our first meeting with our Doula, Sarah Longacre. We hit it off immediately and I could instantly see her as the person that I would feel completely comfortable relying on during my labor. Sarah is extremely friendly and open, she's very knowledgeable and giving and I'm so excited that we have the privilege of having her at our birth! She's also my prenatal yoga instructor as an added bonus! Take a look at her website if you're interested: http://sarahthedoula.com/sarah.asp
What is a Doula?
Derived from ancient Greek, Doula originally meant "women who help other women," or "highest household servant." Today, Doulas not only provide laboring mothers with physical and emotional support, but also hands-on education that can't be found in any book. Doulas offer support to the pregnant couple prior, during and after the baby is born. A Doula mothers the mother. They assist the couple with breathing and relaxation techniques and non-medical technical labor-coping strategies.
Books I read in July:
The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth, Henci Goer
Gentle Birth Choices, Barbara Harper, R.N.
August 2007 ~ August was a great month because we got to spend a week in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico with our friends, Jen & Tom and Erin & Tim. The weather was hot and perfect for spending all day, every day baking in the sun and swimming. It was very relaxing and enjoyable. One day, we took the ferry from Playa to Cozumel and rented scooters and snorkel equipment for the day. Of course, this ended up being the only rainy day of our trip but driving scooters in the pouring rain (it hurts!) is a memory we'll never forget. We had a blast and got a nice tan in the process!
Here we are, tan and happy, on 5th Avenue in Playa del Carmen:
We had our third and most detailed ultrasound on August 30th. We got to see the baby scratch its head and put it's finger in its mouth and move around like crazy. It was great. We fall more in love with the baby every day, but actually seeing it makes the experience feel so much more real. The ultrasound tech could tell what the baby is...but we're waiting to find out!
Books I read in August:
Adventures in Natural Childbirth: Tales from Women on the Joys, Fears, Pleasures and Pains of Giving Birth Naturally, Pam England, CNM & MA and Janet Schwegel
Birthing From Within: An Extra-Ordinary Guide to Childbirth Preparation, Pam England, CNM & MA and Rob Horowitz, Ph.D.
September 2007 ~ On August 31st, we drove to Canada with Danny, Aymee & Charlie to spend Labor Day weekend with our family. We spent the first night at my aunt & uncle's house. The boys all went fishing on Saturday and the girls hung out and relaxed. On Saturday night, we drove to Morden and spent the rest of the weekend visiting with everyone else. It was great to see everyone but me, Aymee and Charlie were all sick and we left our sickness there, unfortunately. Sorry to all who got sick! Thanks to Val & Larry, Barb & Jake and Ray & Pat for letting us crash at your places even though we were sick and probably not the best house guests!
Here's Charlie Bucket, (our niece and Danny & Aymee's baby girl):
I turned 29 on the 6th and I'm feeling a little old since I'm almost 30 and having a baby. I guess it's time to grow up, finally. It's weird how you start thinking about things differently when you're having a baby - I think I'm driving more carefully, which is good. Jason started school this month, also. He's going to be getting a degree in Organizational Management and Leadership from Concordia College. Very exciting!
That pretty much brings us to today, September 27th. We had a doctor's appointment today and everything was fine. The baby was as active as usual, flipping and turning all over the place, making things difficult for my midwife. I hope this isn't a sign of things to come - will the baby be like me? :) Now that we're caught up, we hope to keep this blog updated regularly, so check back soon.
Lots of love!
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