We had a little bit of excitement at Thanksgiving dinner this afternoon. We were in Owen Sound for dinner at Aunt Lillian and Uncle Blair's which is about a 2 hour drive home. Fortunately we'd had an opportunity to enjoy most of the afternoon and all the great food already.
I had what turned out to be a 45 minute 'practice' contraction. When it started I thought it was just some ligament pain on my right side. The discomfort got stronger and stronger and started to radiate up my side and across the front and back of my torso. I got pretty uncomfortable so Mark and I decided it was time to head home.
We paged the midwife on the road because we were concerned that the pain wasn't easing up. It was like a 45 minute charlie horse that got worse and worse! I started using some of the techniques that I learned in our self-hypnosis course which I found really helpful for coping with the discomfort. Of course by the time we actually talked to the midwife the pain was fading.
So, after about an hour, I was pretty much fine. We got home and I had a nice hot bath. My right side is still a bit tender and my belly is still pretty taut but there isn't anymore discomfort. The baby has been really active this evening.
So, we're back where we started. I could have this baby anytime between tonight and early November...
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Saturday, October 10, 2009
38w4d ga
My first week of maternity leave was glorious. Its much easier to be pregnant when you don't have to go into work everyday! I spent the first few days taking it easy and resting. The last few days I've been puttering around the house, doing some last minute running around, and getting things organized.
We had our home visit with the midwives on Wednesday where we talked about what to expect at a home birth, reasons we would move into hospital, and checking to make sure we have everything we need at home. We're all set so this baby can come whenever s/he's ready.
The baby's and my health are good. My blood pressure is excellent (118/68), urinalysis normal, and babies heart beat is great (146). Baby is squirming around throughout the day and night and I occasionally get some little feet pushing up against or under my ribs. It doesn't hurt but it does feel weird. I've gained about 35 lbs which has leveled off and I don't anticipate putting on much more weight as weight gain usually slows down or stops at this point. I have a bunch of stretchmarks on my lower abdomen which are kind of ugly but I'm trying to think of them as pregnancy souvenirs :) I developed very fat feet earlier this week - around the same time the baby dropped into my pelvis. Its sandals only for me for awhile.
No signs of early labour yet although my body does seem to slowly be moving that way. The baby is nice and low in my pelvis with its head tucked and facing my right side (her/his back is lined up with my left side). So far this just means I have to pee several times an hour!
I'm doing a couple of things to help prepare my body for labour. I'm drinking a couple of mugs of raspberry leaf tea a day which is a uterine tonic. The midwives recommended a prenatal homeopathic regime of Arnica (helps with healing after the birth), Actaea Racem (helps the uterus contract in a coordinated and effective way in labour), and Caulophyllum (helps stimulate contractions and promotes blood flow to the pelvis). I'm also taking evening primrose oil caplets orally and vaginally which helps my cervix get ready for birth. None of these things will actually induce labour but rather help my body work as effectively as possible once labour gets going. I have lots of energy (considering I'm pregnant anyway - I still have a nap most afternoons) and so have been doing lots of walking which is also good for bringing on and coping with labour.
I'm feeling pretty relaxed about labour. I have no idea what to expect so I figure there's no point in worrying about it. Also, worrying will probably make it hurt more :) We'll see how I feel after the first few twinges when I have a better idea of what the expect!
Now - we just wait...
We had our home visit with the midwives on Wednesday where we talked about what to expect at a home birth, reasons we would move into hospital, and checking to make sure we have everything we need at home. We're all set so this baby can come whenever s/he's ready.
The baby's and my health are good. My blood pressure is excellent (118/68), urinalysis normal, and babies heart beat is great (146). Baby is squirming around throughout the day and night and I occasionally get some little feet pushing up against or under my ribs. It doesn't hurt but it does feel weird. I've gained about 35 lbs which has leveled off and I don't anticipate putting on much more weight as weight gain usually slows down or stops at this point. I have a bunch of stretchmarks on my lower abdomen which are kind of ugly but I'm trying to think of them as pregnancy souvenirs :) I developed very fat feet earlier this week - around the same time the baby dropped into my pelvis. Its sandals only for me for awhile.
No signs of early labour yet although my body does seem to slowly be moving that way. The baby is nice and low in my pelvis with its head tucked and facing my right side (her/his back is lined up with my left side). So far this just means I have to pee several times an hour!
I'm doing a couple of things to help prepare my body for labour. I'm drinking a couple of mugs of raspberry leaf tea a day which is a uterine tonic. The midwives recommended a prenatal homeopathic regime of Arnica (helps with healing after the birth), Actaea Racem (helps the uterus contract in a coordinated and effective way in labour), and Caulophyllum (helps stimulate contractions and promotes blood flow to the pelvis). I'm also taking evening primrose oil caplets orally and vaginally which helps my cervix get ready for birth. None of these things will actually induce labour but rather help my body work as effectively as possible once labour gets going. I have lots of energy (considering I'm pregnant anyway - I still have a nap most afternoons) and so have been doing lots of walking which is also good for bringing on and coping with labour.
I'm feeling pretty relaxed about labour. I have no idea what to expect so I figure there's no point in worrying about it. Also, worrying will probably make it hurt more :) We'll see how I feel after the first few twinges when I have a better idea of what the expect!
Now - we just wait...
Saturday, September 26, 2009
36w 4d ga
Only one more week of work left and then I can slow down, relax, catch my breath for a few weeks and then its baby time! We're both really excited to finally meet our little one.
Here are promised pictures from our photo session with Jordan and Shaun on August 23, 2009:
Here are promised pictures from our photo session with Jordan and Shaun on August 23, 2009:
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
33 Weeks 0 Days Gestational Age
Whew I have alot to catch up on! In this very long blog I'll be reporting on our prenatal classes, tour of the hospital, baby shower, most recent midwifery appointment, a recent report on home birth, a preview of our 'baby belly photo shoot' last weekend, and a quick progress report on the baby's room.
Prenatal Class Wrap Up
We finished up our prenatal classes in the middle of August. We really enjoyed our instructor Cindy who fortunately had had a midwife so she was able to insert a bit of midwifery context. We were the only midwifery couple in a group of about 10-12 couples. There was a fathering session which unfortunately wasn't as educational as we'd hoped. They brought in a dad/nurse to run this session and he clearly wasn't that well versed on the material. It was interesting that both the fathering instructor and Cindy were nurses and had both chosen midwives as care providers for their pregnancies. Mark and I both felt that a lot of couples in the class were effected by the fact that two health care providers who know a lot about birth both chose midwives.
Hospital Tour
We pre-registered at the Brampton hospital and took a tour of the facility last week. Even though we are planning a home birth we thought it would be a good idea to go through this process in case we have to change our plan to a hospital birth. The facility is beautiful as the Brampton Civic Hospital is a brand new facility. There is access to a jacuzzi pool (first come first serve) and showers in each birthing room to use for hydro therapy in labour to manage pain.
However, I asked what their epidural rate was and the nurse, without blushing, reported that probably about 97% of women get an epidural at their hospital. Canada's overall epidural rate is 45.7%, 59% in the US, and 12% in the UK (a midwife heavy maternity system). Ontario midwives have an 16.8% epidural rate.
AND it appears that they regularly hook mom up to continuous fetal monitors (strap on a monitor and leave it on). The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada (SOGC) only recommends this type of monitoring if baby is suspected to be sick or if labour is induced or augmented. Otherwise, intermittent heart rate checks are recommended because the evidence is that unnecessary interventions are increased with the use of continuous monitoring. This in turn leads to greater risks to mum and baby. Tsk, tsk - not evidence based practice. So, hopefully all will be well and we will give birth to baby at home. Either way, being attended by a midwife in hospital certainly lowers the chances that we'll be 'persuaded' to use these types of interventions unnecessarily.
Baby Shower
Last weekend some friends and family held a lovely baby shower for Mark and me. Thanks so much to Rebecca, Laura, and Shirley for organizing this great event. A number of our friends and family attended and it was great to see everyone and share the day with them. We also received a bunch of best wishes from friends and family who were unable to attend. We are so fortunate to have so many caring, thoughtful, and generous people in our lives. This baby will be born into an eclectic and loving community of friends and family.
More pictures are on their way but here is a preview picture of me, Mark, my step-grandfather Matt, and his friend Bonnie:
Midwife Appointment
I am now seeing the midwife every two weeks. I start seeing them every week at the end of September until the baby is born. I saw one of our midwives yesterday and all is well. My weight gain is holding steady at 25 lbs, my blood pressure is great (110/70), no protein or sugar in my urine. Baby's heart rate is great, I'm feeling lots of regular movement, my uterus is finally measuring according to my dates (I was measuring a bit larger than my dates before), and baby is staying head down.
I'm feeling really good these days. I get tired more quickly but nothing unusual and I've developed quite a waddle when I walk. I'm a bit breathless which is normal - my uterus and the baby are pressing up against my diaphragm causing this breathlessness. Sleeping is a bit more of a challenge. I roll back and forth a number of times in the night because my hips get sore if I spend too much time on one side and of course there's at least one visit to the bathroom in the dark every night. I have a little bit of heart burn but the occasional Tums helps control this.
Home Birth Report
Here is a link to report published yesterday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ):
http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/rapidpdf/cmaj.081869
For a synopsis here is a cbc.ca article on the report:
http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/08/31/midwife-home-births.html
The report states that "planned home birth attended by a registered midwife was associated with very low and comparable rates of perinatal death and reduced rates of obstetric
interventions and other adverse perinatal outcomes compared with planned hospital birth attended by a midwife or physician." Which means that home birth can be as safe as hospital birth when attended by a Registered Midwife.
Baby Belly Photoshoot
Mark and I hung out with friends Jordan and Shawn last Sunday for a photo shoot of my ever-expanding belly and our growing baby. Here is a preview of the shoot. I'll post more photos soon:
Baby's Room
I'm using up the rest of my holiday time this week and puttering around the house. I've done 7 loads of laundry (3 for us, 4 for baby) plus another 3 to do the initial wash of the reusable diapers were planning to use (this is just the initial setup washing to get rid of natural oils in the cotton used in the diapers - we wont have to wash them more than one time per 'soiling' when the baby starts using them). So, 10 loads of laundry - crazy. The baby's room is coming together and should be finished by the end of the week. I'll post some pictures when its all done.
Prenatal Class Wrap Up
We finished up our prenatal classes in the middle of August. We really enjoyed our instructor Cindy who fortunately had had a midwife so she was able to insert a bit of midwifery context. We were the only midwifery couple in a group of about 10-12 couples. There was a fathering session which unfortunately wasn't as educational as we'd hoped. They brought in a dad/nurse to run this session and he clearly wasn't that well versed on the material. It was interesting that both the fathering instructor and Cindy were nurses and had both chosen midwives as care providers for their pregnancies. Mark and I both felt that a lot of couples in the class were effected by the fact that two health care providers who know a lot about birth both chose midwives.
Hospital Tour
We pre-registered at the Brampton hospital and took a tour of the facility last week. Even though we are planning a home birth we thought it would be a good idea to go through this process in case we have to change our plan to a hospital birth. The facility is beautiful as the Brampton Civic Hospital is a brand new facility. There is access to a jacuzzi pool (first come first serve) and showers in each birthing room to use for hydro therapy in labour to manage pain.
However, I asked what their epidural rate was and the nurse, without blushing, reported that probably about 97% of women get an epidural at their hospital. Canada's overall epidural rate is 45.7%, 59% in the US, and 12% in the UK (a midwife heavy maternity system). Ontario midwives have an 16.8% epidural rate.
AND it appears that they regularly hook mom up to continuous fetal monitors (strap on a monitor and leave it on). The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada (SOGC) only recommends this type of monitoring if baby is suspected to be sick or if labour is induced or augmented. Otherwise, intermittent heart rate checks are recommended because the evidence is that unnecessary interventions are increased with the use of continuous monitoring. This in turn leads to greater risks to mum and baby. Tsk, tsk - not evidence based practice. So, hopefully all will be well and we will give birth to baby at home. Either way, being attended by a midwife in hospital certainly lowers the chances that we'll be 'persuaded' to use these types of interventions unnecessarily.
Baby Shower
Last weekend some friends and family held a lovely baby shower for Mark and me. Thanks so much to Rebecca, Laura, and Shirley for organizing this great event. A number of our friends and family attended and it was great to see everyone and share the day with them. We also received a bunch of best wishes from friends and family who were unable to attend. We are so fortunate to have so many caring, thoughtful, and generous people in our lives. This baby will be born into an eclectic and loving community of friends and family.
More pictures are on their way but here is a preview picture of me, Mark, my step-grandfather Matt, and his friend Bonnie:
Midwife Appointment
I am now seeing the midwife every two weeks. I start seeing them every week at the end of September until the baby is born. I saw one of our midwives yesterday and all is well. My weight gain is holding steady at 25 lbs, my blood pressure is great (110/70), no protein or sugar in my urine. Baby's heart rate is great, I'm feeling lots of regular movement, my uterus is finally measuring according to my dates (I was measuring a bit larger than my dates before), and baby is staying head down.
I'm feeling really good these days. I get tired more quickly but nothing unusual and I've developed quite a waddle when I walk. I'm a bit breathless which is normal - my uterus and the baby are pressing up against my diaphragm causing this breathlessness. Sleeping is a bit more of a challenge. I roll back and forth a number of times in the night because my hips get sore if I spend too much time on one side and of course there's at least one visit to the bathroom in the dark every night. I have a little bit of heart burn but the occasional Tums helps control this.
Home Birth Report
Here is a link to report published yesterday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ):
http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/rapidpdf/cmaj.081869
For a synopsis here is a cbc.ca article on the report:
http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/08/31/midwife-home-births.html
The report states that "planned home birth attended by a registered midwife was associated with very low and comparable rates of perinatal death and reduced rates of obstetric
interventions and other adverse perinatal outcomes compared with planned hospital birth attended by a midwife or physician." Which means that home birth can be as safe as hospital birth when attended by a Registered Midwife.
Baby Belly Photoshoot
Mark and I hung out with friends Jordan and Shawn last Sunday for a photo shoot of my ever-expanding belly and our growing baby. Here is a preview of the shoot. I'll post more photos soon:
Baby's Room
I'm using up the rest of my holiday time this week and puttering around the house. I've done 7 loads of laundry (3 for us, 4 for baby) plus another 3 to do the initial wash of the reusable diapers were planning to use (this is just the initial setup washing to get rid of natural oils in the cotton used in the diapers - we wont have to wash them more than one time per 'soiling' when the baby starts using them). So, 10 loads of laundry - crazy. The baby's room is coming together and should be finished by the end of the week. I'll post some pictures when its all done.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
29 Weeks 1 Day Gestational Age
Had another visit with the midwives this morning. All is well. My glucose test (screen for gestational diabetes) came back negative so I don't have gestational diabetes. My fundal height (the measurement from the pubic bone to the top of the uterus) is measuring about two weeks bigger than I am pregnant. Because we know that I don't have gestational diabetes and there doesn't appear to be too much amniotic fluid its probably because I have such a short torso and not because I have a ginormous baby (this is reassuring!).
Mark recently completed painting the nursery so I'm spending some time this week sewing up curtains and crib stuff. I've also got some cute stuff planned for the wall borders. I'm really enjoying myself. I'll post pictures when we're done decorating.
Here is a pic of daddy putting primer on the nursery walls (its a bit blurry).
Mark recently completed painting the nursery so I'm spending some time this week sewing up curtains and crib stuff. I've also got some cute stuff planned for the wall borders. I'm really enjoying myself. I'll post pictures when we're done decorating.
Here is a pic of daddy putting primer on the nursery walls (its a bit blurry).
Friday, July 31, 2009
Makin' Trouble at the PHU
Mark and I are taking prenatal classes through the Peel Public Health Unit. We are both really enjoying the classes as the teacher is really great. The classes are two hours long, once a week, for seven weeks.
A few weeks ago the instructor explained that recent research indicated that pregnant women shouldn't do kegel exercises because they might cause preterm labour. Now, everything you read, every maternity health care provider, websites, etc. all encourage pregnant women to do kegal exercises throughout their pregnancy to strengthen pelvic muscles. Not to mention the fact that these are the muscles we use to 'hold it'... pregnant women NEVER need to pee, right?
I took a look online and couldn't find any research to support the 'no kegels' rule. At the next class (at the break) I asked the instructor for the curriculum research reference. Last night our instructor reported back. Apparently, my question went all the way to the top of the Public Health Unit system. It turns out that the nurses who work on the prenatal class curriculum went to a conference and heard a researcher discuss her findings... of one study. Apparently the study didn't assert much AND the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada position is that pregnant women should be encouraged to do kegel exercises in pregnancy. So, now the PHU prenatal curriculum is being changed back to 'kegel's good'... all because of me. I know... I'm bad ass.
My next project will be to get Brampton Civic Hospital to stop charging women $20 per birth for a package of supplies (diapers, Vaseline, alcohol, peri-pads, etc). More on that later...
A few weeks ago the instructor explained that recent research indicated that pregnant women shouldn't do kegel exercises because they might cause preterm labour. Now, everything you read, every maternity health care provider, websites, etc. all encourage pregnant women to do kegal exercises throughout their pregnancy to strengthen pelvic muscles. Not to mention the fact that these are the muscles we use to 'hold it'... pregnant women NEVER need to pee, right?
I took a look online and couldn't find any research to support the 'no kegels' rule. At the next class (at the break) I asked the instructor for the curriculum research reference. Last night our instructor reported back. Apparently, my question went all the way to the top of the Public Health Unit system. It turns out that the nurses who work on the prenatal class curriculum went to a conference and heard a researcher discuss her findings... of one study. Apparently the study didn't assert much AND the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada position is that pregnant women should be encouraged to do kegel exercises in pregnancy. So, now the PHU prenatal curriculum is being changed back to 'kegel's good'... all because of me. I know... I'm bad ass.
My next project will be to get Brampton Civic Hospital to stop charging women $20 per birth for a package of supplies (diapers, Vaseline, alcohol, peri-pads, etc). More on that later...
Friday, July 24, 2009
27 weeks 3 days
All is well on the baby making front. I'm really enjoying my pregnancy these days.
A midwife friend of mine at work checked baby's position today. S/he is head down, bum under my left ribs, and feetsies using my right ribs for leverage. This explains the achy right side ribs. She reports I have a 'good sized' baby.
I went for a standard glucose blood test last weekend to screen for gestational diabetes. Haven't got the results back yet but I'm not anticipating a result that indicates I have gestational diabetes as I have no signs or symptoms. Drinking the equivalent of a can of orange pop in less than three minutes is a bad idea (which is what you have to do before taking the test) - I don't recommend it if you can avoid it. Blech.
My weight gain has been really good so far - about 21 lbs which is right in the middle of the normal range of weight gain. My blood pressure remains low and my urine analysis continues to be normal at each midwifery visit. Baby's heart beat is strong and healthy and s/he moves around lots.
A midwife friend of mine at work checked baby's position today. S/he is head down, bum under my left ribs, and feetsies using my right ribs for leverage. This explains the achy right side ribs. She reports I have a 'good sized' baby.
I went for a standard glucose blood test last weekend to screen for gestational diabetes. Haven't got the results back yet but I'm not anticipating a result that indicates I have gestational diabetes as I have no signs or symptoms. Drinking the equivalent of a can of orange pop in less than three minutes is a bad idea (which is what you have to do before taking the test) - I don't recommend it if you can avoid it. Blech.
My weight gain has been really good so far - about 21 lbs which is right in the middle of the normal range of weight gain. My blood pressure remains low and my urine analysis continues to be normal at each midwifery visit. Baby's heart beat is strong and healthy and s/he moves around lots.
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