Another day and another appointment. I have a feeling that these weekly appointments are going to make the last few weeks fly by! Today we went in and I was told every week I will come in before my appointments and have Non Stress Tests (NST). The midwife had mentioned the possibility of having these at last weeks appointment, but we didn't get the confirmation until today. The purpose of the tests is just to make sure she's moving around like she supposed to. The beginning of the test she was sleeping, so they had me drink some water and she woke up and did what she was supposed to! Jared did freak out when her heart rate jumped into the 190s and he told me to relax so she would! Well the nurse was happy to tell him that it was totally normal! She explained that when Olivia is sleeping or just chilling, her heart rate is in the 150-160s. When she wakes up, her heart rate increases and that's what they want. She reassured Jared that Olivia is doing what she's supposed to.
After being hooked up for 30 minutes we went into another room for measurements and to check her position and fluids. Fluids are really good and it's looking like Olivia is weighing in at 5lbs 11oz. Currently her head is down, so we're praying she stays that way. She is measuring two days ahead of her due date, so it's anyone's guess when this little girl is going to come. We did ask the doctor how much she thought Olivia would weigh at birth and she is thinking 7-7 1/2lbs. Let's hope she's right. Jared was over 7lbs and I was over 6lbs so I'd be happy with a 6 or 7lb baby! We will have a quick ultrasound at every appointment just to make sure she doesn't flip and to monitor fluids, weight, and length. Hearing that was a nice surprise we weren't expecting.
So all in all things are going well. We've started packing our hospital bag, we finish labor and delivery classes tomorrow night, and we pre-register at the hospital on Friday! Busy, busy, busy!!
Until next time!
-AKL
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Friday, March 16, 2012
Labor/Baby Classes and Updated Due Date
Well needless to say it's been a very hectic month and we still have 2 weeks to go! Not a ton to report on but here's a snapshot of what we've been up to.
Every Thursday during the month of march we attend a labor & delivery class. It's made for some long Thursdays but all of the classes have been really helpful and eyeopening to certain aspects of labor & delivery. We're so glad we signed up for the classes! I think both Jared and I would agree that the best class was when we were able to tour the labor and delivery floor of the hospital. It made us feel more comfortable seeing where we'd be giving birth and hearing more about how they handle births at the hospital. I have had a couple of mini freak out moments while attending the labor & delivery classes but Jared keeps reminding me that many women have done this before me and that I can do it also. Easy for him to say....he doesn't have to push a watermelon out of a hole the size of a grapefruit! I've been present for births before but it's a whole different ball game when you realize you're the one that will be doing all the work and pushing this time around! We are filling out paperwork to get pre-registered at the hospital and they have you outline your birth plan. I'm trying to figure out how I can say, "My perfect birth plan would be to sneeze and she fall out!" Seriously though, wouldn't that be awesome? I know that's not going to happen but hey one can dream....right?
The past two Wednesdays we've taken a baby care class. The class was packed full of valuable information. Some information we knew and other information we had no clue about. It was fun to see how many of the guys in class had never changed a diaper or only changed one or two in their entire life. I have to admit that I was very impressed with the knowledge Jared had regarding baby care how natural he looked with the fake baby.
We went into the doctor this morning for our usual check up and found out that they've bumped up my due date to April 28th. They did tell me that where I'm at now in the pregnancy if she were to come early they wouldn't try to stop her from coming. I've reached that magical time where should she come in the next few weeks she should be just fine. We're praying she keeps cooking for at least another 4 weeks and then if she'd like to talk to us about coming early we'd be open for discussion. We can't wait for her arrival but at the same time want to make sure she has the most adequate cooking time possible. We'll go in next week for another check up and then have a brief ultrasound to make sure her head is down. There will be other tests next week as well and let me just say, NO ONE TOLD ME ABOUT ONE TEST IN PARTICULAR!!!!! It's a good thing the nurse took my blood pressure before giving me the heads up of what next week would entail!
In other kid news Shy and Chan are doing well and getting used to some baby stuff being around. Chan loves to lay on my belly at night and cuddle whereas Shy could honestly care less. I do think she knows something is coming and has kicked up her guarding skills. Which is another way of saying she's a loud mouth! We've been talking about how we're going to introduce them to the baby when we come home as well as figuring out how we're going to deal with them while we're in the hospital. I've tried to convince Jared they just need to come to the hospital with us but he's not really going for that idea.
That's all for now! Until next time!
-AKL
Every Thursday during the month of march we attend a labor & delivery class. It's made for some long Thursdays but all of the classes have been really helpful and eyeopening to certain aspects of labor & delivery. We're so glad we signed up for the classes! I think both Jared and I would agree that the best class was when we were able to tour the labor and delivery floor of the hospital. It made us feel more comfortable seeing where we'd be giving birth and hearing more about how they handle births at the hospital. I have had a couple of mini freak out moments while attending the labor & delivery classes but Jared keeps reminding me that many women have done this before me and that I can do it also. Easy for him to say....he doesn't have to push a watermelon out of a hole the size of a grapefruit! I've been present for births before but it's a whole different ball game when you realize you're the one that will be doing all the work and pushing this time around! We are filling out paperwork to get pre-registered at the hospital and they have you outline your birth plan. I'm trying to figure out how I can say, "My perfect birth plan would be to sneeze and she fall out!" Seriously though, wouldn't that be awesome? I know that's not going to happen but hey one can dream....right?
The past two Wednesdays we've taken a baby care class. The class was packed full of valuable information. Some information we knew and other information we had no clue about. It was fun to see how many of the guys in class had never changed a diaper or only changed one or two in their entire life. I have to admit that I was very impressed with the knowledge Jared had regarding baby care how natural he looked with the fake baby.
We went into the doctor this morning for our usual check up and found out that they've bumped up my due date to April 28th. They did tell me that where I'm at now in the pregnancy if she were to come early they wouldn't try to stop her from coming. I've reached that magical time where should she come in the next few weeks she should be just fine. We're praying she keeps cooking for at least another 4 weeks and then if she'd like to talk to us about coming early we'd be open for discussion. We can't wait for her arrival but at the same time want to make sure she has the most adequate cooking time possible. We'll go in next week for another check up and then have a brief ultrasound to make sure her head is down. There will be other tests next week as well and let me just say, NO ONE TOLD ME ABOUT ONE TEST IN PARTICULAR!!!!! It's a good thing the nurse took my blood pressure before giving me the heads up of what next week would entail!
In other kid news Shy and Chan are doing well and getting used to some baby stuff being around. Chan loves to lay on my belly at night and cuddle whereas Shy could honestly care less. I do think she knows something is coming and has kicked up her guarding skills. Which is another way of saying she's a loud mouth! We've been talking about how we're going to introduce them to the baby when we come home as well as figuring out how we're going to deal with them while we're in the hospital. I've tried to convince Jared they just need to come to the hospital with us but he's not really going for that idea.
That's all for now! Until next time!
-AKL
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
4/D Ultrasound part 2
I know it's been a while since I've given a personal blog update. Trust me, I've had plenty of people get on my case about that but really I don't have much to update you on besides the fact that my belly keeps getting bigger and Olivia keeps kicking harder!
For the most part I'm feeling really good and my appetite has come back. We're talking I can eat chicken again!! Whoo hoo! Gag reflexes are still touch and go. I do have some pretty good stories about that but I think I'll keep those off the blog since they're a little TMI! Let's just say I've had some good laughs with Jared and my mom who have been the primary ones to experience my episodes of gagging!
I'm still pretty tired all the time. I am able to venture out more and more but mornings and evenings are pretty rough with just wanting to stay in bed and sleep. I'm not get much sleep at night. I've got the typical potty breaks it seems every two hours and I'm struggling with my hands falling asleep all the time. Typically I fall asleep and then wake up 2-3 hours for the first potty break, try to fall back asleep, go potty again, sit up in bed trying to get the blood flowing back to my hands, watch TV or play on the iPad for 2-3 hours, go potty again, and then try to force myself back to sleep so I can wake up and work. Everyone keeps telling me to get my sleep now but that's just not happening.
Last week we went in for our final 4/D ultrasound. It was so fun getting to see Olivia again and seeing how big she's getting. She moved around a lot more than when we went for our first one. She still has a thing with her hands being in her face and new to us she likes her feet in her face as well. It's amazing to see what these babies can do in such small spaces. My mom, sister-in-law Jessica and nephew Jakob were able to join us at the ultrasound. Again Jakob had some funny things to say and got a few good laughs at what Olivia was doing. He said he could finally tell that she was a baby so that's a good thing.
We've started our labor and delivery classes and tomorrow start our baby care classes. Needless to say the month of March is extremely busy but we are learning a lot. We're getting so excited for Olivia to come!!
Below are some pictures of Olivia at our last ultrasound!
Rubbing her eyes
Hands and feet covering her face
Foot in her mouth
Glamour Shot
Until next time -
AKL
For the most part I'm feeling really good and my appetite has come back. We're talking I can eat chicken again!! Whoo hoo! Gag reflexes are still touch and go. I do have some pretty good stories about that but I think I'll keep those off the blog since they're a little TMI! Let's just say I've had some good laughs with Jared and my mom who have been the primary ones to experience my episodes of gagging!
I'm still pretty tired all the time. I am able to venture out more and more but mornings and evenings are pretty rough with just wanting to stay in bed and sleep. I'm not get much sleep at night. I've got the typical potty breaks it seems every two hours and I'm struggling with my hands falling asleep all the time. Typically I fall asleep and then wake up 2-3 hours for the first potty break, try to fall back asleep, go potty again, sit up in bed trying to get the blood flowing back to my hands, watch TV or play on the iPad for 2-3 hours, go potty again, and then try to force myself back to sleep so I can wake up and work. Everyone keeps telling me to get my sleep now but that's just not happening.
Last week we went in for our final 4/D ultrasound. It was so fun getting to see Olivia again and seeing how big she's getting. She moved around a lot more than when we went for our first one. She still has a thing with her hands being in her face and new to us she likes her feet in her face as well. It's amazing to see what these babies can do in such small spaces. My mom, sister-in-law Jessica and nephew Jakob were able to join us at the ultrasound. Again Jakob had some funny things to say and got a few good laughs at what Olivia was doing. He said he could finally tell that she was a baby so that's a good thing.
We've started our labor and delivery classes and tomorrow start our baby care classes. Needless to say the month of March is extremely busy but we are learning a lot. We're getting so excited for Olivia to come!!
Below are some pictures of Olivia at our last ultrasound!
Rubbing her eyes
Hands and feet covering her face
Foot in her mouth
Glamour Shot
Until next time -
AKL
Week 32: Mommy your HOT!
*Want to know where I got this information? Go to www.baby-gaga.com*
Weight: 4lbs Length: 17 inches
In the latest womb reports, your amazing baby has now developed sensitivity to temperature!
Which means you’re likely to get a swift kick if you put a hot pad or bag of ice on your ginormous belly.
For the Elton John lovers out there - baby’s got blue eyes.
Actually, even if you're too young to know who Elton is, all babies have blue eyes at this point.
This could easily change after birth (or even between now and labor), but for the time being, blue it is.
Thanks to their recently matured lungs and a strengthening immune system, over 90% of babies born in their 32nd week survive!
So - go ahead and throw a mini-party right now because it’s pretty much a done deal - you've got a human-bean that's going to make it!
That's not to say you actually want your wee womb-squatter to pack their bags and move out now, because they'd still end up in the ICU for a good while, rather than in your arms at home.
Babies are best when fully baked!
And how's mom doing?
Choo choo... back on the same lame symptom train and the ride is ... well, let's just say you can count getting up to pee every 10 minutes as part of your daily exercise regime. Let's be clear on one thing: your labor is your labor - it's not the doctor's, it's not your mother's, it's not even your partner's
Also, when you're getting up for your millionth potty-break, watch out for lightheadedness and get up nice-n-slow during these last weeks as your blood tends to pool in the lower limbs, resulting in low cranial blood pressure.
If you haven't yet started facing the elephant in the room, it's time to bite the bullet and talk about labor and birth.
Yes, labor isn't easy (hence the name "labor") and although contractions can be intensely painful if they're not properly managed, there are several easy and safe methods for making your contractions much more tolerable pain-wise.
To start: let's be clear on one thing: your labor is your labor - it's not the doctor's, it's not your mother's, it's not even your partner's, so it's time to start taking steps to prepare yourself for one of the most intense experiences of your life.
Labor and Birth 101
PHASE 1: EARLY LABOR:
Early labor is signaled by an increase in the rate and intensity of contractions (between 30 - 60 seconds; starting 20 minutes apart till they're 5 minutes apart), bloody show (loss of your cervical plug), water breaking (or not - it only happens to 20% of women at the onset of labor), and diarrhea is also common.
Please note that labor is not a linear process for every woman. Sometimes it starts and then recedes - the more active you are, the more you're going to encourage it to progress. The more you're relaxing horizontally and taking baths, the more slowly labor will progress.
The contractions you'll feel are powerful muscular waves of movement moving both down and across your uterine muscles, that first thin your cervix, and then begin to slowly press your baby out of the uterus and down towards the birth canal.
PHASE 2: ACTIVE LABOR:
Active labor occurs when your contractions become more intense in duration and rate. Active labor contractions last for 45 to 60 seconds, and are 3 to 5 minutes apart.
PHASE 3: TRANSITION:
Transition is what you're aiming for once you're in labor but it's also the point where your contractions are pretty much non-stop and as intense as they'll ever be because your baby's about ready to head out in the most literal sense of the expression.
If you're in the hospital, and decide to have an epidural, this is when it should be administered - and not sooner, to prevent interfering with labor.
PHASE 4: DELIVERY OF YOUR BABY:
This is an intense time when you push - in heaving intervals of groaning and bearing down like you're trying to take the most massive crap ever - in order to bring your baby out of the birth canal and into the world. This time may be marked by someone coaching you to push/bear down in intervals.
PHASE 5: DELIVERY OF THE PLACENTA:
After giving birth to your now-evicted womb resident, you should try to immediately breastfeed to help deliver the placenta as breastfeeding helps the uterus contract. The contractions you'll experience during this process will be a whimpering shadow of what you felt prior to delivering your baby.
So that's labor and birth in a quick nut-shell.
In the upcoming weeks, we'll cover the insider's view on how best to deal with labor, avoid a c-section, prevent tearing of your perineum, and loads of other surprising and disturbing facts about giving birth.
Until next time...
-AKL
Weight: 4lbs Length: 17 inches
In the latest womb reports, your amazing baby has now developed sensitivity to temperature!
Which means you’re likely to get a swift kick if you put a hot pad or bag of ice on your ginormous belly.
For the Elton John lovers out there - baby’s got blue eyes.
Actually, even if you're too young to know who Elton is, all babies have blue eyes at this point.
This could easily change after birth (or even between now and labor), but for the time being, blue it is.
Thanks to their recently matured lungs and a strengthening immune system, over 90% of babies born in their 32nd week survive!
So - go ahead and throw a mini-party right now because it’s pretty much a done deal - you've got a human-bean that's going to make it!
That's not to say you actually want your wee womb-squatter to pack their bags and move out now, because they'd still end up in the ICU for a good while, rather than in your arms at home.
Babies are best when fully baked!
And how's mom doing?
Choo choo... back on the same lame symptom train and the ride is ... well, let's just say you can count getting up to pee every 10 minutes as part of your daily exercise regime. Let's be clear on one thing: your labor is your labor - it's not the doctor's, it's not your mother's, it's not even your partner's
Also, when you're getting up for your millionth potty-break, watch out for lightheadedness and get up nice-n-slow during these last weeks as your blood tends to pool in the lower limbs, resulting in low cranial blood pressure.
If you haven't yet started facing the elephant in the room, it's time to bite the bullet and talk about labor and birth.
Yes, labor isn't easy (hence the name "labor") and although contractions can be intensely painful if they're not properly managed, there are several easy and safe methods for making your contractions much more tolerable pain-wise.
To start: let's be clear on one thing: your labor is your labor - it's not the doctor's, it's not your mother's, it's not even your partner's, so it's time to start taking steps to prepare yourself for one of the most intense experiences of your life.
Labor and Birth 101
PHASE 1: EARLY LABOR:
Early labor is signaled by an increase in the rate and intensity of contractions (between 30 - 60 seconds; starting 20 minutes apart till they're 5 minutes apart), bloody show (loss of your cervical plug), water breaking (or not - it only happens to 20% of women at the onset of labor), and diarrhea is also common.
Please note that labor is not a linear process for every woman. Sometimes it starts and then recedes - the more active you are, the more you're going to encourage it to progress. The more you're relaxing horizontally and taking baths, the more slowly labor will progress.
The contractions you'll feel are powerful muscular waves of movement moving both down and across your uterine muscles, that first thin your cervix, and then begin to slowly press your baby out of the uterus and down towards the birth canal.
PHASE 2: ACTIVE LABOR:
Active labor occurs when your contractions become more intense in duration and rate. Active labor contractions last for 45 to 60 seconds, and are 3 to 5 minutes apart.
PHASE 3: TRANSITION:
Transition is what you're aiming for once you're in labor but it's also the point where your contractions are pretty much non-stop and as intense as they'll ever be because your baby's about ready to head out in the most literal sense of the expression.
If you're in the hospital, and decide to have an epidural, this is when it should be administered - and not sooner, to prevent interfering with labor.
PHASE 4: DELIVERY OF YOUR BABY:
This is an intense time when you push - in heaving intervals of groaning and bearing down like you're trying to take the most massive crap ever - in order to bring your baby out of the birth canal and into the world. This time may be marked by someone coaching you to push/bear down in intervals.
PHASE 5: DELIVERY OF THE PLACENTA:
After giving birth to your now-evicted womb resident, you should try to immediately breastfeed to help deliver the placenta as breastfeeding helps the uterus contract. The contractions you'll experience during this process will be a whimpering shadow of what you felt prior to delivering your baby.
So that's labor and birth in a quick nut-shell.
In the upcoming weeks, we'll cover the insider's view on how best to deal with labor, avoid a c-section, prevent tearing of your perineum, and loads of other surprising and disturbing facts about giving birth.
Until next time...
-AKL
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Week 31: Another day....another ounce
*Want to know where I got this info? Go to www.baby-gaga.com*
Length: 16 in Weight: 3.3 lbs
This week, your amazing growing baby is around 3 pounds and 17 inches tall.
With each added layer of baby fat, your baby's wrinkly raisin skin starts to look more and more like it will when they're born.
The heavy news: you can expect your miracle-gro muffin to gain about a half a pound of weight per week from now until about two weeks before birth.
Your baby's developing immune system has made some serious gains over the past weeks getting them in full gear to face our disease-ridden world o’ wonders.
Even so, a large majority of your child’s immune strength will need to come from your milk in the first year.
Their cute little noggin’ (which could already be covered with luscious locks or just purty peach fuzz), is still soft because the skull bones have not yet fused together.
As disturbing as having an infant with a soft cracked skull sounds, it's pretty much a necessity for passage through the birth canal during labor.
If your baby is in your birth canal for an extended period, they'll come out with a bit of a cone head, as a result of their skull plates being compressed while in your rather snug birth canal. It's normal, harmless and their skull will even out into a more round, less cone-heady shape in the next few weeks.
Oh, and FYI: your baby may have that “soft spot” on their head for up to eighteen months after birth.
And how's mom doing?
Here’s a good way to deal with your mounting impatience (and distract you from your discomfort): map out your plan of action for the big day.
It’s an important and necessary step that’s both soothing and fun.
If you think about it, planning all the details of your labor now can be a real saving grace once the chaos and intensity of labor kicks in.
Planning a hospital birth:
*These guidelines also apply for a birthing center birth*
1.Pack a bag with a couple of changes of loose comfortable clothes (bikinis if you want to be hopping in and out of the shower/bath), reading material, music that you think would inspire/relax you during labor, and a camera.
2.Have an infant car seat, blankets, newborn diapers, wipes and a going-home outfit ready for your brand new baby's journey home.
3.If you haven't yet, choose who you want present during labor and whether you're going to have a doula/midwife who will mediate potentially pushy medical staff on your behalf - in order to support you and uphold your birth plan throughout labor.
4.Get to know your driving route to the hospital or birthing center like the back of your hand.
5.Make a list of typical medical procedures you're comfortable with and which ones you'd like to avoid during labor and birth. Type it up and print out the list to give it to your medical caregiver as soon as possible.
6.Start researching your pain management options. Read weeks 35, 36 and 37 for more detailed information and labor tips.
7.Include a post-birth plan to prevent your baby from being taken away from you, ensure that they're not given formula or a bottle, which can induce "nipple confusion" and make breastfeeding more difficult.
Planning a home birth
1.Make sure your midwife is available for the weeks around your due date.
2.Decide whether or not you want to rent a birthing tub!
3.Get the delivery room ready. Your midwife will provide you with a list of necessary equipment to buy and bring the rest herself.
4.Choose who will be present while you labor, and don't let anyone guilt you into including them if you're not sure they're the kind of person you'll want around when you're in the throes of labor.
5.Make sure you've got all the necessary infant supplies: newborn diapers and wipes, swaddling blankets, newborn clothes and a safe sleep space (whether in a protected co-sleeping area or crib/bassinet).
6.Make a go-to-hospital contingency plan with your midwife in the event something goes seriously wrong and medical intervention becomes necessary.
7.Start planning your pain management options and prepping yourself mentally for labor.
Until next time...
-AKL
Length: 16 in Weight: 3.3 lbs
This week, your amazing growing baby is around 3 pounds and 17 inches tall.
With each added layer of baby fat, your baby's wrinkly raisin skin starts to look more and more like it will when they're born.
The heavy news: you can expect your miracle-gro muffin to gain about a half a pound of weight per week from now until about two weeks before birth.
Your baby's developing immune system has made some serious gains over the past weeks getting them in full gear to face our disease-ridden world o’ wonders.
Even so, a large majority of your child’s immune strength will need to come from your milk in the first year.
Their cute little noggin’ (which could already be covered with luscious locks or just purty peach fuzz), is still soft because the skull bones have not yet fused together.
As disturbing as having an infant with a soft cracked skull sounds, it's pretty much a necessity for passage through the birth canal during labor.
If your baby is in your birth canal for an extended period, they'll come out with a bit of a cone head, as a result of their skull plates being compressed while in your rather snug birth canal. It's normal, harmless and their skull will even out into a more round, less cone-heady shape in the next few weeks.
Oh, and FYI: your baby may have that “soft spot” on their head for up to eighteen months after birth.
And how's mom doing?
Here’s a good way to deal with your mounting impatience (and distract you from your discomfort): map out your plan of action for the big day.
It’s an important and necessary step that’s both soothing and fun.
If you think about it, planning all the details of your labor now can be a real saving grace once the chaos and intensity of labor kicks in.
Planning a hospital birth:
*These guidelines also apply for a birthing center birth*
1.Pack a bag with a couple of changes of loose comfortable clothes (bikinis if you want to be hopping in and out of the shower/bath), reading material, music that you think would inspire/relax you during labor, and a camera.
2.Have an infant car seat, blankets, newborn diapers, wipes and a going-home outfit ready for your brand new baby's journey home.
3.If you haven't yet, choose who you want present during labor and whether you're going to have a doula/midwife who will mediate potentially pushy medical staff on your behalf - in order to support you and uphold your birth plan throughout labor.
4.Get to know your driving route to the hospital or birthing center like the back of your hand.
5.Make a list of typical medical procedures you're comfortable with and which ones you'd like to avoid during labor and birth. Type it up and print out the list to give it to your medical caregiver as soon as possible.
6.Start researching your pain management options. Read weeks 35, 36 and 37 for more detailed information and labor tips.
7.Include a post-birth plan to prevent your baby from being taken away from you, ensure that they're not given formula or a bottle, which can induce "nipple confusion" and make breastfeeding more difficult.
Planning a home birth
1.Make sure your midwife is available for the weeks around your due date.
2.Decide whether or not you want to rent a birthing tub!
3.Get the delivery room ready. Your midwife will provide you with a list of necessary equipment to buy and bring the rest herself.
4.Choose who will be present while you labor, and don't let anyone guilt you into including them if you're not sure they're the kind of person you'll want around when you're in the throes of labor.
5.Make sure you've got all the necessary infant supplies: newborn diapers and wipes, swaddling blankets, newborn clothes and a safe sleep space (whether in a protected co-sleeping area or crib/bassinet).
6.Make a go-to-hospital contingency plan with your midwife in the event something goes seriously wrong and medical intervention becomes necessary.
7.Start planning your pain management options and prepping yourself mentally for labor.
Until next time...
-AKL
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Week 30: Only 10 more weeks mama
Want to know where I got this information? Go to www.baby-gaga.com
Length: 15.7 in Weight: 3lbs
Woohoo! You can finally see the finish line now that you're in the final quarter of the race!!!
Whether you felt like your pregnancy's been flying by or slower than a snail scaling Everest, you've arrived in your thirtieth week and your baby's cookin' beautifully!
In other news: the fine lanugo hair that covers their little body will start falling off this week in preparation for the big day.
Still, don't be too shocked if your baby is hairier than you’d anticipated. Some babies keep their lanugo after birth - which is totally normal, and it will fall off eventually.
Checking in on the fat factory: your little porker is getting even cuter with increasingly pudgy arms and legs, thanks to their ever-growing layers of subcutaneous brown fat.
In terms of numbers, your big ol' baby should be weighing in at around 3 pounds 12 ounces (or more!) and be nearly 16 inches long!
Keep up the good work you two!
And how's mom doing?
Hey beautiful pregnant woman, have you thought about where you want to have your baby? Ultimately it's your choice and one you need to consider carefully because your experience in each of these environments will set a vastly different mood for labor, which in turn will have a direct impact on how you experience and cope with the pain of labor.
In this crazy modern world, a woman usually has three choices: a hospital, a birthing center, or at home - all of which are perfectly viable and safe options, although there are several measurable benefits to less invasive birthing environments.
Hospital Pros and Cons
Pro: In the slim chance that anything goes seriously wrong, you'll have immediate access to a full medical staff and all the necessary resources to deal with the situation.
Con: If you're healthy and laboring normally, you're going to be exposed to - and potentially pressured into, a plethora of unnecessary, invasive and risky procedures and devices. Simply birthing in a hospital increases your risk of an emergency c-section.
Pro/Con: You'll have access to pain medication in the form of an epidural when you need it, but it's not without considerable risk to the mother, especially if given too early in labor.
Con: You can't sleep in your own bed at night, use your own bathtub or easily access food as desired.
Con: Medical staff may or may not be on your side when it comes to respecting your birth plan.
Con: It's expensive if you're an American, especially if you end up with a C-section.
Birthing Center Pros and Cons
Birthing Centers have popped up in the last decade in reaction to the highly invasive and risky birthing practices of many hospitals.
Pro: They're cheaper than a hospital.
Pro/Con: They rarely offer epidurals, but do have many different less invasive pain management options including a birthing tub.
Pro: They offer a gentle home-like birthing environment for women not comfortable birthing at home.
Pro: They're run by certified midwives and nurses who're trained to deal with all possible complications during labor and birth.
Con: You can't sleep in your own bed at night, use your own bathtub and food access is up to the Birthing Center.
Pro: Birthing centers are women-built, women-centered labor-positive environments that will provide you with much more psychological support during labor than you're likely to experience in the hospital.
Home Birth Pros and Cons
Pro: You're in your home, which if you've prepared the birthing space, means you'll not have to deal with anyone or anything unfamiliar or undesirable, leaving you free to focus on your labor and nothing else.
Pro/Con: You're signing up for a medication-free labor, which means you're going to have to be strong and focused during labor to get all the postpartum rewards and healing that a non-medicated labor offers.
Pro: There's very little risk of you experiencing c-section, forceps, an episiotomy, or any other risky procedures.
Con: In the unlikely chance something goes wrong and your certified midwife is unable to resolve it herself, you will need to get to the hospital when time is of the essence.
Pro: Postpartum sleep in your own bed, your own bathroom, your own food, your own space, no pushy medical staff who "knows better".
Ultimately, it's your choice and one you need to consider carefully because your labor experience in each of these environments will set a vastly different mood, which will directly impact how labor progresses and whether or not you'll have the birth you planned.
Until Next Time...
-AKL
Length: 15.7 in Weight: 3lbs
Woohoo! You can finally see the finish line now that you're in the final quarter of the race!!!
Whether you felt like your pregnancy's been flying by or slower than a snail scaling Everest, you've arrived in your thirtieth week and your baby's cookin' beautifully!
In other news: the fine lanugo hair that covers their little body will start falling off this week in preparation for the big day.
Still, don't be too shocked if your baby is hairier than you’d anticipated. Some babies keep their lanugo after birth - which is totally normal, and it will fall off eventually.
Checking in on the fat factory: your little porker is getting even cuter with increasingly pudgy arms and legs, thanks to their ever-growing layers of subcutaneous brown fat.
In terms of numbers, your big ol' baby should be weighing in at around 3 pounds 12 ounces (or more!) and be nearly 16 inches long!
Keep up the good work you two!
And how's mom doing?
Hey beautiful pregnant woman, have you thought about where you want to have your baby? Ultimately it's your choice and one you need to consider carefully because your experience in each of these environments will set a vastly different mood for labor, which in turn will have a direct impact on how you experience and cope with the pain of labor.
In this crazy modern world, a woman usually has three choices: a hospital, a birthing center, or at home - all of which are perfectly viable and safe options, although there are several measurable benefits to less invasive birthing environments.
Hospital Pros and Cons
Pro: In the slim chance that anything goes seriously wrong, you'll have immediate access to a full medical staff and all the necessary resources to deal with the situation.
Con: If you're healthy and laboring normally, you're going to be exposed to - and potentially pressured into, a plethora of unnecessary, invasive and risky procedures and devices. Simply birthing in a hospital increases your risk of an emergency c-section.
Pro/Con: You'll have access to pain medication in the form of an epidural when you need it, but it's not without considerable risk to the mother, especially if given too early in labor.
Con: You can't sleep in your own bed at night, use your own bathtub or easily access food as desired.
Con: Medical staff may or may not be on your side when it comes to respecting your birth plan.
Con: It's expensive if you're an American, especially if you end up with a C-section.
Birthing Center Pros and Cons
Birthing Centers have popped up in the last decade in reaction to the highly invasive and risky birthing practices of many hospitals.
Pro: They're cheaper than a hospital.
Pro/Con: They rarely offer epidurals, but do have many different less invasive pain management options including a birthing tub.
Pro: They offer a gentle home-like birthing environment for women not comfortable birthing at home.
Pro: They're run by certified midwives and nurses who're trained to deal with all possible complications during labor and birth.
Con: You can't sleep in your own bed at night, use your own bathtub and food access is up to the Birthing Center.
Pro: Birthing centers are women-built, women-centered labor-positive environments that will provide you with much more psychological support during labor than you're likely to experience in the hospital.
Home Birth Pros and Cons
Pro: You're in your home, which if you've prepared the birthing space, means you'll not have to deal with anyone or anything unfamiliar or undesirable, leaving you free to focus on your labor and nothing else.
Pro/Con: You're signing up for a medication-free labor, which means you're going to have to be strong and focused during labor to get all the postpartum rewards and healing that a non-medicated labor offers.
Pro: There's very little risk of you experiencing c-section, forceps, an episiotomy, or any other risky procedures.
Con: In the unlikely chance something goes wrong and your certified midwife is unable to resolve it herself, you will need to get to the hospital when time is of the essence.
Pro: Postpartum sleep in your own bed, your own bathroom, your own food, your own space, no pushy medical staff who "knows better".
Ultimately, it's your choice and one you need to consider carefully because your labor experience in each of these environments will set a vastly different mood, which will directly impact how labor progresses and whether or not you'll have the birth you planned.
Until Next Time...
-AKL
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Week 29: I'm spleen-tastic
*Want to know where I got this information? Go to http://www.baby-gaga.com/*
Length
15.3 in 38.8 cm
Weight
2.5 lbs 1.1 kg
If you’ve been feeling weird little fluttering butterflies in your belly, it’s not just your run-of-the-mill pre-birth performance anxiety.
Actually, it's your amazing baby with a case of the hiccups: a fairly common occurrence at this point, due to them practicing breathing for their big birthday.
In addition to getting a round of butterfly-like hiccups, your little swimmer has arduously managed to accumulate enough baby fat to account for nearly 3.5% of their overall body weight.
Yeah, compared to we lardy adults, it’s not very impressive, but considering they used to have NO fat, it’s certainly a healthy (and body-warming) accomplishment in its way.
Another fantastic life-critical accomplishment: your baby's spleen is now in charge of hematopoiesis — the 10 dollar name for the process involved in building up certain important blood components.
And how's mom doing?
Last week we covered 10 reasons why you want to breastfeed, now we're going to cover why it's a challenge which ends in formula-feeding for a small percentage of women. Some women have issues with their milk supply due to poor nutrition, being away from their newborn too often, and/or stress, which often leads them to opt for formula rather than making simple diet and life changes that're more "milk-positive".
At first glance, it seems pretty obvious: pull out breast, attach child and voila! You and your newborn snuggle into one of the sweetest (literally - your milk is sweet!), most vital things you'll ever do for your infant.
Unfortunately for some women, this flow-chart breaks down at the "attach child" phase due to issues with latching - most frequently because the infant is "tongue-tied", which makes them unable to successfully latch on the mother's nipple. There is some dispute on the practice of tongue-clipping and its necessity for successful breastfeeding.
Other women have issues with their milk supply due to poor nutrition, being away from their newborn too often, and/or stress, which often leads them to opt for formula rather than making simple diet and life changes that're more "milk-positive".
Some women choose not to breastfeed because they are taking medications which're potentially risky to their infant.
The reality is: the majority of women who fail to breastfeed beyond the first month do so because they lack critical knowledge about breastfeeding and receive little active support from their partner and/or family in the process.
Either way, it's not a major tragedy if you're forced to choose formula, but many women still feel badly about their inability to breastfeed.
If you make an honest effort to breastfeed and fail due to circumstances which're truly beyond your control, you did your best - modern life isn't particularly infant-friendly, especially when it comes to breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding Basics
WARNING: The first months of breastfeeding are going to be a boot camp experience.
Your newborn will want to be at your breast virtually all of the time and not in a way you can schedule into your planner. This phase lasts about two months and becomes more regular and predictable by the third month.
Non-stop breastfeeding in newborns is instinctual. Respect mother nature's design by feeding whenever your infant cries with a dry diaper.
There is no such thing as an empty breast. Seriously, as long as you're baby's suckling contentedly, everything is fine - besides, their suckling stimulates milk production!
Breastfeed exclusively for the first six weeks without pumping.
Use lansinoh oil if your nipples chap or crack.
What you eat goes into your milk, so eat lots of veggies, fruits, whole grains, legumes, and stay away from junk food, fast food, fart-inducing foods, citrusy things, onions and cabbage.
Learn to slow yourself down, shut off your phone (as your supply and let-down are directly impacted by stress), clear your mind and focus on your body's interaction with your child and their well-being.
The healthier and happier you are going in, the more likely you'll be to successfully breastfeed your infant into toddlerhood.
Breastfeeding creates a uniquely intimate bond with your infant, which enables you to build a gentle healthy relationship with your child as they grow into toddlerhood.
Until next time
-AKL
Length
15.3 in 38.8 cm
Weight
2.5 lbs 1.1 kg
If you’ve been feeling weird little fluttering butterflies in your belly, it’s not just your run-of-the-mill pre-birth performance anxiety.
Actually, it's your amazing baby with a case of the hiccups: a fairly common occurrence at this point, due to them practicing breathing for their big birthday.
In addition to getting a round of butterfly-like hiccups, your little swimmer has arduously managed to accumulate enough baby fat to account for nearly 3.5% of their overall body weight.
Yeah, compared to we lardy adults, it’s not very impressive, but considering they used to have NO fat, it’s certainly a healthy (and body-warming) accomplishment in its way.
Another fantastic life-critical accomplishment: your baby's spleen is now in charge of hematopoiesis — the 10 dollar name for the process involved in building up certain important blood components.
And how's mom doing?
Last week we covered 10 reasons why you want to breastfeed, now we're going to cover why it's a challenge which ends in formula-feeding for a small percentage of women. Some women have issues with their milk supply due to poor nutrition, being away from their newborn too often, and/or stress, which often leads them to opt for formula rather than making simple diet and life changes that're more "milk-positive".
At first glance, it seems pretty obvious: pull out breast, attach child and voila! You and your newborn snuggle into one of the sweetest (literally - your milk is sweet!), most vital things you'll ever do for your infant.
Unfortunately for some women, this flow-chart breaks down at the "attach child" phase due to issues with latching - most frequently because the infant is "tongue-tied", which makes them unable to successfully latch on the mother's nipple. There is some dispute on the practice of tongue-clipping and its necessity for successful breastfeeding.
Other women have issues with their milk supply due to poor nutrition, being away from their newborn too often, and/or stress, which often leads them to opt for formula rather than making simple diet and life changes that're more "milk-positive".
Some women choose not to breastfeed because they are taking medications which're potentially risky to their infant.
The reality is: the majority of women who fail to breastfeed beyond the first month do so because they lack critical knowledge about breastfeeding and receive little active support from their partner and/or family in the process.
Either way, it's not a major tragedy if you're forced to choose formula, but many women still feel badly about their inability to breastfeed.
If you make an honest effort to breastfeed and fail due to circumstances which're truly beyond your control, you did your best - modern life isn't particularly infant-friendly, especially when it comes to breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding Basics
WARNING: The first months of breastfeeding are going to be a boot camp experience.
Your newborn will want to be at your breast virtually all of the time and not in a way you can schedule into your planner. This phase lasts about two months and becomes more regular and predictable by the third month.
Non-stop breastfeeding in newborns is instinctual. Respect mother nature's design by feeding whenever your infant cries with a dry diaper.
There is no such thing as an empty breast. Seriously, as long as you're baby's suckling contentedly, everything is fine - besides, their suckling stimulates milk production!
Breastfeed exclusively for the first six weeks without pumping.
Use lansinoh oil if your nipples chap or crack.
What you eat goes into your milk, so eat lots of veggies, fruits, whole grains, legumes, and stay away from junk food, fast food, fart-inducing foods, citrusy things, onions and cabbage.
Learn to slow yourself down, shut off your phone (as your supply and let-down are directly impacted by stress), clear your mind and focus on your body's interaction with your child and their well-being.
The healthier and happier you are going in, the more likely you'll be to successfully breastfeed your infant into toddlerhood.
Breastfeeding creates a uniquely intimate bond with your infant, which enables you to build a gentle healthy relationship with your child as they grow into toddlerhood.
Until next time
-AKL
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