The Giant Swell

Over the weekend I noticed some pregnancy induced changes in my feet, the giant swell. I know a lot of pregnant women swell but I hadnt experienced it yet and thought I was over that hump. Apparently not. I think it is due to sitting for long periods of time, like at our 4.5 hour Birthing Refresher Course or out to eat at dinner. Once I am on my feet for awhile and drinking lots of water them seem to shrink back to semi-normal size.

And of course, here is a picture of my feet at their most swollen: While the left one is swollen, the right one is huge! Aaron and I get a good laugh at my newly found club feet, or should I say foot.

Birthing Refresher

Over the weekend Aaron and I attended a Birthing Refresher Course, required by the Birthing Center. The instructor has been teaching the Bradley Method of Natural Birthing for over 20 years and usually holds 8-week courses. However, for the Austin Area Birthing Center, she condenses all the information into a 4.5 hour lesson. The information she taught us and the manner in which she taught it was very informational. We felt as though we learned more in those 4.5 hours than we learned throughout our many weeks at Centering.

She, of course, taught us the biological aspect of what our bodies will go through during labor/delivery as well as pain relieving techniques. She birthed 3 children naturally, so we felt she was an excellent source. We learned emotional and physical sign posts that will help us gauge where we are in the stages of labor. It feels very empowering as a women to be able to know what is happening in my body and be able to adjust accordingly, instead of freaking out and running to the hospital.

We also briefly covered bringing baby home, the things we should expect and the importance of family time. Our instructor told us to be aware of the 2 types of people that will want to come over: Type 1- The person who comes over with groceries, cooks you dinner and cleans your kitchen floor. She stated that these are the people you want in your home, because they realize what a new family needs. Type 2- The person who comes over and immediately wants to hold the baby, while doing so also asks for a cup of coffee. These people, she said, are not allowed in. No one should be asked to be entertained.

We cannot wait to use all the tools we have been given to begin our family. Doula Aaron has been taking his job very seriously, and will be the ultimate support system. Now hurry up Penelope, before we forget everything we have learned.

Forever Pregnant

I know every pregnant woman gets to the point where they dont want to be pregnant anymore. After 9 months, with the last few months being extremely uncomfortable, its not hard to imagine why. Having a giant baby inside your belly that practices kickboxing mulitple times a day, who sits on your bladder and sort of feels like a weird tumor that must be shifted seperatly from your own body when sleeping are just a few of the things us preggers deal with a on a daily basis. 

I am ready to have this baby. My body is so uncomfortable. I cannot sit for long periods because my feet then swell, but I cannot stand for too long either. In fact, it feels better to stand or to walk around. But I cannot put my body through too much strenuous activity, if I do Penelope reacts and kicks my ass, forcing me to take it easy.

 It may sound weird or it may be a totally normal pregnant thing but I feel like I am going to be pregnant forever. I feel like contractions and labor will never start and I will be forever in the uncomfortable state of pregnancy. I have been assured that no woman has been pregnant forever but I could be the first...

Exactly 2 Weeks Away

Yesterday we had our weekly appointment at the Birth Center.  My Strep B test from last week came back negative, meaning I wont have to have an IV of antibiotics during labor. While it wouldn't have been a big deal I am glad I wont have to worry about it when the time comes and I can concentrate on the task at hand. 

Everything else checked out perfectly normal. I wasn't checked to see if my cervix has made any progress from the following week which I thought the midwife would do, but next week I will have the option to be checked.  I guess it doesn't matter how dilated or effaced I am, everyone is different. I could be 3cm dilated for weeks and not go into labor, or I could be only dilated to 1cm and go into labor that evening. 

Now we play the waiting game...

Staring Contest

Over the course of my pregnancy there has been one thing that has baffled me, even to this day.  People who deliberately and without hesitation stare at me. Most even do the head turn and do a double take. I guess to make sure I really am pregnant.  When I got pregnant is this not something I thought I would have to deal with, didn't even cross my mind. But it happens on a daily basis, usually multiple times. It doesn't matter if they are child or adult, male or female, they all do it. I don't get it. I see pregnant women everyday so I cant be the only preggers in the world. Some days I think to myself that they are all stupid and need to learn some manners (while I make eye contact and give them the "What are you looking at?" look) yet other days it makes me feel self conscious, like something must be wrong with me. I dislike those days because I love my pregnant body.  Sure I look a little ridiculous and standing naked in front of the mirror makes Aaron and I laugh out loud but Ive never been happier with my body then I am right now.  

Do other pregnant women deal with this? Or am I just the lucky one? If that is the case, what makes me different from all the other preggers?

Judgements and Diapering

Because we didn't have enough going on last Saturday, between the two hour breastfeeding class and then working a six hour shift, I signed Aaron and I up for a Cloth Diapering 101 class early in the morning.

We had already decided on cloth diapering but we were lost. There are about a billion different methods to cloth diapering, literally. Its very confusing to the diaper newbie such as myself. Cloth diapering, like having a natural birth and using the Montessori method, isn't something Aaron and I announce to everyone. As we have found most people are very judgmental and think their way is the best way, especially parents. While cloth diapering isn't any harder than using disposables, majority of parents scoff at us in disgust and tell us it wont last. That we will cave to the societal norm of the disposable.

Since getting pregnant Aaron and I have made decisions based on what was best for Penelope, not easiest for us. Sure it would have been easier to give birth the 'American' way in a hospital with a array of doctors and a hoard of drugs but that isn't what is best for Penelope. Naturally birthed babies are different from the start, simply from not being exposed to harmful drugs, don't believe me? Look it up, research both arguments. Everyone we know with children has labored and birthed the 'American' way, and there is nothing wrong with it. We don't judge people or tell them they shouldn't have drugs, that isn't our place. Kind of like how people judge us for going the natural route, its not their place, but people cant help themselves. I'm sick of getting ridiculed for the decisions we make as parents. And it has only begun.  Every family, every child is different. We didn't just go out on a whim and decide one day that natural birth, and cloth diapering are cool.  We have done months of research deciding what is best ultimately for Penelope and for our family. Aaron and I would never tell anyone how to raise their child yet people do it to us on a daily basis.    

Want some information on Cloth Diapers? Click here or leave a comment and I'll answer as best I can.

The Belly Drop

Roughly about 3 days ago my giant belly dropped. The technical term for this is 'lightening,' when the baby drops into your lower pelvis. I didn't notice at first but had a few people tell me I looked a lot lower.

I have been sleeping better the past couple of nights, less tossing and turning. And my back doesn't hurt anymore yet I haven't figured out if that is due to acupuncture or Penelope's new positioning. However, I haven't gotten acupuncture in over a week so its a good sign I might not have to go back. I would have thought that her dropping would have hurt my back even more but she must have moved off my sciatic nerve, releasing the pressure. Hallelujah! 

Now that she has dropped it feels really weird walking around. There is a lot more pressure in my pelvis area. It almost feels like her head is just going to pop out while I'm standing. I feel like I should be walking around with my legs spread apart, you know just in case a body part falls out. Its a bizarre feeling. But it means that we are getting closer to finally holding our little girl.  

Car Seats

Yesterday after Aaron and I had our prenatal appointment we had an appointment with a Certified Car Seat Inspector, I'm not sure of their real title but this sounds like a good one to me. Babyearth, a store in Round Rock, offers these inspections once a month upon appointment only. We were lucky to get an appointment as they fill up fast.

I was a little worried when we pulled up because we still had the car seat in the box in the trunk. I didn't know if they would help install it or just fix an already installed car seat. So Aaron quickly got to work reading the owners manual and figuring things out while I filled out some paperwork. When it was our turn we got this surprisingly young but knowledgeable inspector. Aaron had the car seat installed correctly (amazing, I know) but it was much too loose. She went over everything from how to install it to the placement of the carrying handle while in the car to after-market accessories that void the warranty. She said that 70-90% of car seats are installed incorrectly, which of course leads to infant injury or death. That's insane! But not our Penelope, we are all inspected and ready for her arrival. Cue the "They See Me Rollin', They Hatin'" song :)

Since everything is already installed correctly we aren't touching a thing. We are driving around with the car seat now. It makes sitting in the passenger seat a little cramped because the seat has to be pushed a little farther forward. But we don't mind. And now for some reason when we get into the car we say "Hello Penelope!"  and gaze back at the car seat like she is magically in there. We are horrible nerdy and it cannot be stopped.

36 Weeks 5 Days

This morning Aaron and I had one of our prenatal appointments. We no longer participate in "Centering," that ended 2 weeks ago and since then we have our individual weekly visits. Today's appointment was a very important one, consisting of Acknowledgment of Paternity legal paperwork, and testing.

Since Aaron and I aren't legally married he is not considered the legal father of Penelope, meaning she wouldn't be eligible to receive any benefits from him (like insurance, or inheritance). But today we signed the Acknowledgment of Paternity paperwork, giving Aaron full legal standing of our giant Penelope. It was kind of like being in court, very legal and professional. So now when Penelope is born she will officially be a Jimenez. Yay! 

Next order of business was the Group B Strep test. Group B Strep is a bacteria that grows naturally in the vagina. It comes and goes without women even knowing it, without causing any harm. However, if this bacteria is present when a woman goes into labor it can cause harm to the baby as it passes out of the birth canal. If present, the woman must have an IV with antibiotics while she is in labor. I think it is pretty common and very easy to deal with. I find out next week what my test results are.

While I laid down the midwife felt around my belly to figure out the positioning of Penelope. She is still head down, she has been that way for like 5 weeks now. She also said that Penelope was a smaller sized baby...wait...are you joking? Have you seen this giant belly and how ridiculous I look? But yes it is true. Of course she cant tell how much Penelope will weigh but she predicted that she will be in the 7 pound range. I bet you can imagine the sense of relief I felt. No giant 10 pound Penelope! 

The midwife also performed my first vaginal examine since first becoming pregnant. I am currently 1cm dilated and 70% effaced. Effacement means that the cervix is soft, which is a good thing, we want a soft cervix. 100% effacement is when the cervix is completely soft and thinned out. And for those of you who didn't know 10cm is complete dilation, this is when pushing can begin. Everything is perfectly healthy and where it should be at. The midwife predicted I wont go past my due date. Can I get another sigh of relief? Ahhhh!

Baby Shower

Yesterday we celebrated our upcoming Penelope at our Baby Shower. We are so lucky to have so many wonderful friends and family to share this special time in our lives. I want Aaron to be included in very aspect of this journey so we decided we wanted our baby shower to be co-ed. Some guys were a little leery of this idea, thinking they might be forced to wear pastel colors and sip tea. But come on! That doesn't even sound fun to me. So we grilled food (Koobideh Kabobs to be exact), had a demented clown pinata (filled with crazy Mexican candy, mini liquor bottles, and lotto tickets), drank beer, sipped wine punch (bottled water and Izze juices for me!) and had ourselves a good ol' time.

Acupuncture

After suffering the past few weeks with sciatica I decided to try acupuncture, as recommended by Aaron and my midwife. I have been to 3 appointments now and the difference is astounding. While I still waddle around, it is now due to the weight of my giant belly and not to the shooting pain down my back and butt region.

I had never gotten acupuncture before so I was unsure of what to expect. I found a great little place through Yelp called South Austin Community Acupuncture. The community aspect of it made it seem a little "hippie-ish" at first but the sliding scale pricing couldn't be beat so I figured Id give it a try. I read a bunch of reviews to get some idea of what to expect upon my first visit. Most patients met with the Acupuncturist in a private room to discuss why they were there and to come up with a plan of action. Then the patients were taken to a big room with five or six recliners for their actual treatment. Thus the community part. Since most of the acupuncture points are on the knees and elbows there was no need for laying down in individual rooms. This is what keeps their costs down, while affording us poor folk the luxury of their services. Their slogan is "I Sleep With Strangers at South Austin Community Acupuncture"...cute.

Two weeks ago I was able to make my first appointment online. Thank god for online services like these, what did we ever do without them? I had been up all night long with that damn shooting pain. Finally at 6am I made my way to the couch, hobbling and crying. I was able to schedule an appointment for that afternoon. While still in a lot of pain, I hoped I had found the light at the end of the tunnel, a dark painful giant Penelope tunnel. When I got to my appointment I had to fill out the usual medical paperwork. After, I was greeted by Wally, the owner and acupuncturist, and he ushered me into a private room. We discussed my ailment and he quickly began his needle poking skill. Because I have sciatica, which is specifically located in the lower back to butt area I was given my own room. No community aspect to my treatments. While this was mainly for my comfort level I doubt any of the other patients want to be subjected to my giant naked pregnant butt. After the first appointment my sciatica was reduced to more of a sore pain as opposed to a knife stabbing one.

Ive been back twice since then and things have gotten substantially better. Yesterday I walked around all day doing errands and my back didn't start hurting until later in the evening. I call that success. Who knows maybe I can start working more now?! Now that I'm officially 9 months pregnant I want to start working more, somehow I think I am a little backwards. But that's me...always just a little off.

Full Term

Today I am exactly 36 weeks! This means that I can officially deliver Penelope at the Birthing Center because she would be considered a full term baby. I was never worried about going into early labor but the unexpected is always in the back of my mind. Aaron says Penelope would have been grounded since day 1, while also forgoing her college education, if she came early, due to costing us a fortune to have a hospital birth. Not to mention my sanity. A hospital is not where I want to bring Penelope, or any of our future children, into this world.

We have defeated one more pregnancy hurdle. 

Maintaining the Strong Relationship

With 4 weeks 2 days until my due date things are getting really exciting and hectic around here. We are running around attempting to start and finish her nursery in the same week, while also reading our Bradley Birthing Method and Montessori books. Preparing for labor and delivery is of utmost importance for me, you cant just go into a natural birth unprepared. That's exactly like signing up for a triathlon without any training, failure would be inevitable. 

Although we are busy with the hustle and bustle, I cant help but have some sense of anxiety about the upcoming changes. I'm not talking about taking care of a baby, I honestly feel like those instincts come naturally. But the changes that could possibly occur between Aaron and I. Aaron is my best friend. We have been a team since we first met, always working together. We enjoy each others company, and miss each other only after short periods of being apart. Having a baby doesn't have to change anything we don't want it to, with a lot of effort of course. One of the best pieces of advice I have ever gotten was from my best girlfriends mom, Karen. Years and years ago she said your husband/partner needs to come first, and your children second. Some people may hear this and think its crazy. But if the relationship between you and your partner isn't strong then how can you possibly raise a child in that environment to the best of your ability. A strong relationship creates a strong family unit. Whenever I struggle with the future "what ifs" of our relationship I think back to what Karen said and it makes me feel 100% at ease. Our partnership is and will always be top priority.

Nursery Update

People keep asking Aaron and I if we are ready for our new addition. And with less than 5 weeks to go we overwhelmingly reply "Hell No!" We aren't in the slightest bit ready. Mentally? Sure we are ready, I would like a few more weeks of natural birth preparation however. But as far as baby stuff goes we are severely lacking. We have some clothes, a children's rocking chair and a stuffed animal. That is all. No bed, no diapers, no wipes, no anything. 

Here are pictures from this morning of Penelope's room:

The painting just recently started, her room was the paint and tool storage room for the first few weeks of living here. And Zeus even lovingly blessed it with his nose burning stench of a poop 2 weeks ago. Which of course threw this hormonal pregnant woman overboard. In his defense he was sick and was considerate enough to poop on the plastic covering the carpet. 

This is her closet and everything we have purchased or received as gifts. 

Ive said it before but it still doesn't seem real to me. I definitely look like I am about to pop out a baby any second but I don't feel like it will ever happen. There is no sign of an upcoming baby in our apartment. Hopefully once her room gets painted we will begin to decorate and purchase more baby items.

Other people I know who are having babies around the same time as us have everything in place, right down to the color coordinated hangers in the closet. While I would love to be that far along, we just aren't and that's okay. Penelope just better wait and cook just a little while longer. Otherwise her Dad will have to get sent out on a manic shopping trip, which wouldn't be pretty for anyone involved.