12 Days To Go...

...If he decides to stay on board awhile longer! Could be any day or could be another 3 weeks!

Breastfeeding class was fine. I don't think I learned anything though. But that's what happens when you spend basically the last nearly 2 years reading up on these things. My latest delve is "Saying No To Vaccines" by Dr. Sherry Tenpenny. Wow! What a resource. It is pretty clinical, but I am still half way through. Very interesting stuff and info I feel everyone should know, not just parents facing the decision of whether to vaccinate their children, and if so, how much, which ones and when. Everyone should read this book.

But back to this week's haps. We also had our 38 week appointment yesterday, before our 2nd birth class. It was actually a bit of a CF if you ask us. It's kind of a long story. We had a very unnecessary "scare". Basically the Midwife thought his heartbeat was pretty low a couple times with the doppler. He was moving around while she was trying to find it, so much so that my stomach was rolling before our eyes. Nonetheless, she thought we should use the fetal monitor for a 30 minute non-stress-test to get a better picture. I was a little freaked and felt like she was not directly telling us what might be happening. I appreciate her trying to keep things light and not cause undue stress, but in that type of situation, you just want straight forwardness.

So we go upstairs and hook me up to the monitor. She sets it on my right side and we can hear a very regular heartbeat. At this point she is feeling better, but is watching for certain peaks or raises to confirm a certain level of response from him. He gave us some peaks but apparently they weren't as tall as she would like to see. Then she steps from the room to go downstairs. (Turns out she's calling the Nurse on-call for her opinion.) As soon as she steps away the heartbeat disappears-he's moved to the other side. So Jack gets up and gets a closer look at the monitor and the read out to this point. He notes to me that the pattern to right before we lost him entirely is not random at all, and looks very much like something is not hooked up right.

Upon returning to the room, we promptly tell her what's happened. While she is preparing to and moving the monitor to the other side she is telling us that she and the Nurse feel I should go across to the hospital for 2 hours of monitoring! So as I am fighting tears, Jack is praying and she is resetting the monitor. Boom, there's our Baby Boy! Loud and strong and regular with beautiful peaks and an abundance of movement! The Midwife states that everything is beautiful and that she really thinks he was just resting or sleeping....

We have a different theory: We think she plain jumped the gun. We think her doppler exam was hap hazard as he was moving all over. And then we think the monitor was not set up right or in the right place for the first part of the test. We stayed on for another 30 minutes after the change and he was perfect.

They of course withdrew the recommendation of hospital monitoring. But did ask me to come back tomorrow (Friday) for another test with them. Our theory on this is that they are just looking to save face. I mean, sure, they were concerned and felt they had reason to be. But if there was a real threat we either would have been sent to the hospital, or at the very least they would have wanted me back today, not Friday.

Jack was pretty bent about the whole thing. We in no way are questioning our care. At all. We feel the same situation could easily happen in a more medicalized environment and that the outcome would likely have been more invasive, even possibly to a major fault. We appreciate the Midwife's concern and the Nurse's safe is better than sorry approach. But we don't entirely agree with the diluted information and skirting of questions that occurred in the process. I will very likely be talking to them about it after we have the Baby. I think it is something she has already learned from, as she actually apologized to us three times. But I do want to make sure she gets some feedback on that. If I was a Midwife or any caregiver, I would want to know how the people felt so I could do better next time.

I am not one tiny bit nervous about tomorrow. I am just irritated that I have to drive back down there tomorrow! This will be the third time this week. And I feel it is not needed. However, if I refuse it, they may require it anyway. And this is because Colorado is very much in control of the Center and they must abide by the State regulations over them or be shut down. So I totally get it.

So that's what happened. And after all that, we did make our class, but I was a little blah-ed out over the whole fiasco. Oh well, it's over!

I love this Baby Boy so much. I can't wait til he is old enough for me to tell him these stories! This post could get really long, if I add in about some recent videos we've watched and other tid bits. So I'll just stop here and maybe save that for the 39 week entry!

Thanks for reading. I sure do love you all. XOXOX

38 weeks right around the bend....

I will add a picture to this post this week! I'll have Jack take one before class since I will be presentable! I just wanted to post in and say how entirely excited we are. We are finally sooo close! I can't believe how much work we have ahead of us. Mainly the labor...the parenting, sure, but whoa...the labor!

I am finally at the point where I can non-prematurely start looking for signs of the approaching extravaganza. Particularly, maybe some Show. My practice "contractions" (I will call them rushes) have started to increase just a little. But certainly nothing too exciting.

Mostly, I am spending my time walking in the morning, making lists and checking them off, resting in the afternoon, taking care of the house, necessary massages, and stretching in the evening. The path to the Birth Center is becoming more well worn. We have gone down a couple different routes and they are pretty close to the same in time.

I've got a stack begun on my dresser of things to take with us, and just a thing or two left to pick up. One more shopping trip as far as household/food items is in order. Got over 20 freezer meals prepared, now just need some bulk side items and Jack's lunch staples. This way, he'll only have to pick up fresh items when shopping for us in the early weeks before I will take Baby out!

I think we are as ready as we are going to be. Jack does want to finish this particular job he is on, which should be Tuesday of this week. Then he will be basically working from home the next 4 weeks. We are feeling so blessed by this. I mean seriously, what a wonderful thing!

Yep, BRING ON THE BABY! It's time to meet this snuggly pooper face to face!

35.5 Weeks...and...39 Years!

Here I am almost a week ago in my kitchen for Jack's 39th BDay party! Tuesday we will be 37 weeks....full term...here...we...go....! Oh, I added a couple more...Mommy and Daddy-Still in love after almost 10 years. Look how skinny Jack is. He is trying to make me look LARGE AND IN CHARGE!

35 Week Appt/Newborn Class

Today marks just 30 days to go before my estimated due date! The midwife said 80% of first time Babies come around 10 days after the EDD. But I still wonder if ours will come closer to Oct 5th due to me knowing when we conceived more definitely than others going by their last period? I will ask that question this week at 36 week appt.

So last Thursday we had our 35 wk appt which went just groovy. I am measuring right, have gained 25 lbs (hope to not gain more as I am catching up to Jack) :-( His heartbeat was 140ish. And the midwife showed Jack how to find the head, body and hiney, so therefore the feet and knees too! I already knew where he was, but it was neat to see Jack learn that. And he did get to squish down hard and feel the head. Yes, Baby is still head down. The chance of him flipping breach now is slim to none, what a relief! I didn't mind this midwife (we have met all but 1 now) but Jack said she was too jumpy and made him nervous. I hope she is not the one on call when we go in! I don't need the MW making my birthing partner nervous! So far there are 3 out of 6 that i am hoping for. Hopefully when we meet the last one she can make that 4 out of 6.

After the appt we had our newborn care class which was fantastic. Jack listened quite intently. I learned one or two small things. But the information was just good, and flowed well. It was funny to hear the teacher (who is a biologist) mention how we came from primates and about the moro reflex we all developed as a defense mechanism for when we might fall out of a tree millions of years ago. Haha. I laughed. But that's a biologist/scientific mind for you.

One interesting thing about the class, was the other couples. When going around the room to introduce and chat, all the women except one (and myself) expressed their fear and anxiety of "losing their life as it is now" and "not being able to pick up and run, spend time alone with their husbands, losing sleep, those types of things. All legitimate, of course. But I found it surprising. There was only one other couple that actually seemed like they planned their Baby and really wanted it! The other dynamic I noticed, was the men were more interested in learning than the women. As far as, many men had specific questions, mentioned they had already done some reading, things like that. It was really cute. But strange to me. But it is just a different society now I spose.

I feel deeply that I am going to be a natural. Although I did and still do lots of reading and research on various things, and I don't regret the time I have spent or the confusion I have brought on myself at times, I don't know that I needed much of it. I can visualize myself caring for this little baby very clearly and easily. I am almost ecstatically looking forward to the "Baby Moon" we have decided to have. I have known from before I was pregnant that I wanted a period of just us three when he is born, but I did not know there was a name for it or how highly recommended it is. I have since read about its importance and the teacher spoke heavily on the subject as well. I will post separately on our Baby Moon plan!

This week, Tuesday, we have breastfeeding class! This one I am going to try and devour. I am thankful that the 6 hours after he is born I will have the midwife there to assist me with the number one goal (besides our health of course) of establishing breast feeding. And if after I get home we encounter trouble, I can call for help and I will have it. Friends have said go into breast feeding with an open mind because often times "it doesn't work" and is "a pain in the ass" and "does not come natural". They say be ready to just do what you need to do and offer a bottle and even formula. I say not me. I am going to breast feed this Baby. That's the end of it.

Friday, we have our 36 week appt/class. It is a 2 hour appt where we do the usual check up, but then go over all of the getting ready to labor and birth a Baby stuff! This class for me begins to mark the final weeks. Starting the natural birth classes the following Wednesday seals the deal.

I cannot say how excited I am for this life change blessing. I praise God every day for His awesome loving kindness and willingness to bestow on us this treasure. And I am so very happy for you all to be a part of the joy. I love you! Thanks for reading?