Inflation

By kate on February 26th, 2006

After several days of focusing on the swelling in my hands, I took a minute to look at my legs and feet, only to discover that they are now hilariously swollen. They already looked like someone else’s extremities, but now they’re losing all their curve and definition as they get more swollen.

This particular symptom is more amusing than anything because it doesn’t come with any pain or discomfort (at least now that I have bigger shoes). Take a look for yourself at the before (pre-pregnant) and after – it’s OK to laugh!

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We have a doula!

By kate on February 26th, 2006

Steve and I had gone back and forth on whether we wanted to have a birth doula or not. After interviewing one woman who was not a good fit for us, we were leaning against it. However, one local doula, Alissa Wehrman, was highly recommended by both our midwives and an aerialist friend, so we met with her as well. We both liked her a lot and found her calm and unobtrusive style to be what we were looking for.

Basically, her role is to be an emotional and practical support person for Steve and I during labor. She’s attended over 150 births in all kinds of settings, so she’s very experienced and knowledgeable about what comfort techniques are useful when. Her presence will allow Steve to spend more time focused just on me during labor, as well as giving him a chance to go to the bathroom without leaving me alone.

The midwife that is attending the labor will be more focused on medical/physical things like vital signs and measurements and equipment preparation, so she won’t be able to focus so much on helping us cope with labor. We’re confident that Alissa will contribute a lot without taking over or getting in the way (as we originally thought might happen).

In addition to helping us through labor, Alissa will do two post-partum home visits to make sure we’re OK and answer questions. She’s a trained lactation consultant, so she can help with any breastfeeding issues that come up. Finally, she takes detailed notes throughout labor and at her last visit will review all the details with us (such as what time I went into transition, etc.). It will be nice to have such a written record without having to do one ourselves.

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It hurts

By kate on February 22nd, 2006

The swelling in my hands has gotten painful. Several joints in my thumbs and index fingers are tender to the touch, and worse when in motion. The only time it feels OK is if I’m not moving my hands at all, or if I’m using the computer. (Believe it or not, mousing/typing is the easiest activity for my hands because they remain in a fairly neutral position.) I have new-found sympathy for arthritis sufferers, because I’m guessing it feels like this. The worst part is that there’s nothing I can do except wait for the birth. Ouch.

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General Update

By kate on February 17th, 2006

This weekend, we cross a big milestone: what we’re calling Term Day. That’s the day when I’ve completed my 37th week, and Zippy is considered “full term.” This is important because after that point, we can give birth in the birth center instead of the hospital. Before that point, I could probably give birth with minimal complications, but afterwards, nobody would worry if I went into labor. We’re celebrating by trying to get our bag packed for the birth center this weekend. I also want to load a bunch of songs and pictures on my laptop to play during labor.

Other than that, my mostly uneventful pregnancy continues. My biggest complaint at the moment is the swelling. First, it was my feet, which look unrecognizable to me at this point. I caved in and bought some Comfortable Shoes last weekend: slip-ons that are an entire size bigger than usual. Then, my hands began to swell, causing the great wedding-ring-swaperoo, which has now been repeated (because I needed yet a bigger ring). The swelling has also been causing the carpal tunnel problems I’ve been having, although those are mostly under control now that I’m sleeping in wrist braces, and wearing them off and on through the day. The most recent problem has been that some finger joints have swollen to the point of being a bit painful. It’s worse at night, but most of the time there’s a bit of soreness. Unfortunately, the unanimous opinion of my doctor and the midwives is that nothing can be done.

(I should point out that, even though I feel like a balloon, one of our midwives looked at my swelling and declared it “nothing” for someone at my stage of pregnancy.)

Our weekly midwife appointments are continuing. This week, we had an appointment with Michelle at our house so that she’ll be able to find it if needed during the birth, or at least for a home visit after the birth. We have another home visit with Tracy in two weeks or so. This week, Michelle’s observations were that I have an above-average amount of amniotic fluid (a good thing, I think) and that Zippy’s head is working its way down into my pelvis (also good). I just hope I’m not one of the ~15% of women whose water breaks before they are in active labor! I think mine’ll be pretty dramatic.

We have one childbirth class left, this Tuesday, during which we’ll learn our final lessons on labor and cover newborn care and breastfeeding. I’m still boasting the largest belly in class, even though there are a few couples due two weeks before us. I don’t feel so bad about it, though, because I’ve heard some of the other women tell stories of continued nausea and worrisomely small fetuses. At least I’m confident that Zippy is well-fed.

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No baby here!

By kate on February 13th, 2006

Steve surprised me tonight with an amazing present: a hand-sewn hat for Zippy! We’ve been looking for a nice hat for her, but hadn’t found anything in stores that we liked. He made it in secret, mostly late at night while watching hockey after I had gone to bed.

When we were in Vietnam, we heard about a superstition among the Hmong who live in the northern mountains. Their infants wear brightly colored hats that are designed to look like a flower, so that evil spirits don’t notice the child (and steal it away). Now, Zippy is also safe from evil spirits:

(Click for larger pictures)

Admire how cute the hat is, and how even the stitches (in a contrasting orange) are. The third picture is the top view – no baby here! Only a pretty flower!

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Conversation # 20,004 and its hidden meanings

By kate on February 7th, 2006

	Actual Conversation	Subtext
CO-WORKER / RANDOM STRANGER / DENTAL HYGENIST / CASHIER / ETC:	So, when are you due?	They’ve noticed I’m pregnant and need to let me know they know. This is how they always start.
KATE:	In March.	To conserve syllables, I omit the actual date. Nobody seems to mind, unless they have a March birthday, in which case it’s very important.
C/RS/DH/C/E:	Wow, it’s not long now! Do you know if it’s a boy or a girl?	Everyone takes this cautious tactic, in case we haven’t found out the gender.
KATE:	It’s a girl.
C/RS/DH/C/E:	Wow, how great! [ingratiating smile]	They would say this whether I told them it was a boy or a girl.
KATE:	Mmm hmmm.
C/RS/DH/C/E:	Do you have a name picked out?
KATE:	We’re working on it.	The actual answer is that, yes, we have a short list of names we like, and no, I’m not telling you what they are. I’m not interested in your personal opinions on the name, or hearing about people you know who share it.
C/RS/DH/C/E:	You must be so excited! [insert semi-relevant story about someone they know who is or was pregnant]
KATE:	Mmm hmmm.	I am so tired of having this conversation. Must keep smiling vacantly.