My parents and brother were here for Thanksgiving. Martin and I made the turkey and baked corn and my mom made all the sides and desserts. It was a great feast. And Dylan even let us all eat together.
Monday, December 04, 2006
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Future updates
I don't think that I will be doing a weekly update anymore but I will periodically fill you in on what we've been up to here at home and on reports from the doctor. Mostly these will focus on eating, output, and sleeping. Here's how the eating has been going....
We took Dylan to the pediatrician the day after we got home from the hospital. He weighed 5 lbs 15 oz. then. The doctor said everything looked great. He had a little bit of jaundice but it was very low risk. On Tuesday we went back for his 2 week appointment. He weighed 6 lbs. 5.5 oz. The doctor didn't want to say "see you in two months" until his had gained his birth weight back so he asked us to come in in a week to see how much Dylan weighed. He suggested suplementing (could be breast milk) 1 oz. every other feeding. I was a little reluctant to give him a bottle at this point (I did end up trying a saringe but it didn't really work) so after much discussion with other moms and Martin I just ended up feeding him every chance I could. He didn't have any signs of dehydration and his output was good so I just couldn't see supplementing just because he wasn't up to his birth weight in two weeks (an arbitrary number if you ask me). Well, it worked. The next week he was up to 7lbs 2.5 oz. Since then he's gained another half pound (as of Monday the 27th). So he's doing great. I've been going to a breastfeeding support group every Monday so I'll try to update you on Dylan's weight every Monday. (My weight, for those of you who care, is only 7 lbs more than my pre-pregnancy weight!!! My clothes don't really fit though since the shape of my belly is different.)
We took Dylan to the pediatrician the day after we got home from the hospital. He weighed 5 lbs 15 oz. then. The doctor said everything looked great. He had a little bit of jaundice but it was very low risk. On Tuesday we went back for his 2 week appointment. He weighed 6 lbs. 5.5 oz. The doctor didn't want to say "see you in two months" until his had gained his birth weight back so he asked us to come in in a week to see how much Dylan weighed. He suggested suplementing (could be breast milk) 1 oz. every other feeding. I was a little reluctant to give him a bottle at this point (I did end up trying a saringe but it didn't really work) so after much discussion with other moms and Martin I just ended up feeding him every chance I could. He didn't have any signs of dehydration and his output was good so I just couldn't see supplementing just because he wasn't up to his birth weight in two weeks (an arbitrary number if you ask me). Well, it worked. The next week he was up to 7lbs 2.5 oz. Since then he's gained another half pound (as of Monday the 27th). So he's doing great. I've been going to a breastfeeding support group every Monday so I'll try to update you on Dylan's weight every Monday. (My weight, for those of you who care, is only 7 lbs more than my pre-pregnancy weight!!! My clothes don't really fit though since the shape of my belly is different.)
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
November 10th Picture
A few years ago, I was sitting at work and realized that the two pictures of Martin and I that I had at my desk were both taken on November 10th. Ever since then, we've taken a picture on every November 10th. That day is also our friend Christine's birthday. (I even thought Dylan might be born on that day.) The first three years, the pics were taken in three different countries. The first year we were in NJ/NY. The second year we were in Tiajuana, Mexico, and the third year we were in Aruba. Last year we just took the picture at home. This year the picture (of me anyway) is pretty bad, but it had to be taken. So here it is.....
Monday, November 20, 2006
Dylan with friends
Mike has been over to visit Dylan twice and brought us enough enchiladas for 5 meals (of our sized portions!) Mike is Martin's former roommate and was a groomsman in our wedding.
Nancy came to visit with her youngest daughter Violet. Nancy and I have know each other for almost 10 years! We worked together at camp. Nancy read Scripture at our wedding.
How we came up with the name
Since Dylan's name was such a secret, I haven't gotten the chance to tell most of you how we came up with the name. It's not a terribly interesting story but for those of you who are curious here it is. Basically we just liked the name. We looked through a lot of books, websites, and our church directory and wrote down the names we liked. Then we evaluated if they fit the "rules" and if they sounded good with our last name. We had two other names that were the front runners for a while before we saw the name Dylan. Martin liked Dylan a lot right away. It took me some convincing but I like it a lot now. Martin had another middle name that he liked but since he picked the first name I picked the middle. Graham was also on the list of names we liked but we didn't use it for a first name since it only has one syllable. Both names have some personal significance since Martin is a Bob Dylan fan and my paternal grandmother's maiden name is Graham.
Friday, November 17, 2006
Thoughts on labor and hospital stay
The night that Dylan was born, I thought a lot about the whole labor experience that I had just gone through. I know most women would just want to forget it but after having done so much preparation, I had to analyze. If you're pregant, you might not want to read this so stop now. I couldn't get over how bad the pain was. Granted, the really bad stuff only lasted for maybe 45 minutes but oh my goodness. How do women decide to have more than one? I even started to think about that myself that night. Could I really do this again? I guess it gets easier but still. Now that I know what's ahead, I think it may be harder to go into it. Maybe next time I'll get an epidural. I'm really glad I didn't this time. My main concern was that it would prolong labor and maybe lead to a C section. But second labors are usually shorter and now my body knows what it's doing. I'm glad I was able to do it without pain medicine (and the awful needle in the back) and experience the full extent of labor but now that I've been there done that maybe next time will be different. We'll see.
I'm really glad the way things went with Dylan's birth. I'm glad they broke my water. That made things go so much quicker. I'm glad I was able to walk around since I had all that back labor. I liked the way the doctor and nurse helped me and delivered Dylan. And I didn't even have a birth plan!
I thought I would enjoy the hospital stay more than I did. I thought, man, why would I want to go home when I have someone doing everything for me and all these resources to help right there. Well, and maybe this was just because we were rooming in and Martin stayed both nights, but the nurses pretty much left us to fend for ourselves. I thought someone was going to come in and make sure I was feeding Dylan every so many hours. Nope. I thought they'd be doing some of the diaper changing. Nope. But they made us record any time I fed or changed Dylan so that they were keeping some track. I thought they would help hand me the baby so I wouldn't have to get out of bed. Nope. And I had to press the call button like a mad woman the one time I really needed them to help me go to the bathroom (they wanted to be present the first two times I went to the bathroom after delivering). Maybe all this was a good thing, it just wasn't what I expected.
Two other things that bugged me - when we got to the post partum room where I would be staying, the nurse gave me all these instructions for caring for myself and Dylan in a two minute speech where she was talking as fast as the wind. I don't know how I absorbed anything. The same thing happened at our "discharge class." This woman talked sooo fast and gave us so much information at once, I don't know how we were supposed to get anything out of it. The other thing that bugged me was the day after Dylan was born, they have people coming into your room literally every 5 minutes to do something - tests, pictures, birth certificate, and the one that really got me - survey for the food service. It was really overwhelming more me and Dylan - he didn't sleep well that night.
There were a lot of good things about the hospital stay. The food was good and you could order what you wanted and as much of it as you wanted. Also, the breastfeeding class and counsultants were very helpful. And most of the nurses were really nice. And I can't forget that I had a private room and bathroom.
I'm really glad the way things went with Dylan's birth. I'm glad they broke my water. That made things go so much quicker. I'm glad I was able to walk around since I had all that back labor. I liked the way the doctor and nurse helped me and delivered Dylan. And I didn't even have a birth plan!
I thought I would enjoy the hospital stay more than I did. I thought, man, why would I want to go home when I have someone doing everything for me and all these resources to help right there. Well, and maybe this was just because we were rooming in and Martin stayed both nights, but the nurses pretty much left us to fend for ourselves. I thought someone was going to come in and make sure I was feeding Dylan every so many hours. Nope. I thought they'd be doing some of the diaper changing. Nope. But they made us record any time I fed or changed Dylan so that they were keeping some track. I thought they would help hand me the baby so I wouldn't have to get out of bed. Nope. And I had to press the call button like a mad woman the one time I really needed them to help me go to the bathroom (they wanted to be present the first two times I went to the bathroom after delivering). Maybe all this was a good thing, it just wasn't what I expected.
Two other things that bugged me - when we got to the post partum room where I would be staying, the nurse gave me all these instructions for caring for myself and Dylan in a two minute speech where she was talking as fast as the wind. I don't know how I absorbed anything. The same thing happened at our "discharge class." This woman talked sooo fast and gave us so much information at once, I don't know how we were supposed to get anything out of it. The other thing that bugged me was the day after Dylan was born, they have people coming into your room literally every 5 minutes to do something - tests, pictures, birth certificate, and the one that really got me - survey for the food service. It was really overwhelming more me and Dylan - he didn't sleep well that night.
There were a lot of good things about the hospital stay. The food was good and you could order what you wanted and as much of it as you wanted. Also, the breastfeeding class and counsultants were very helpful. And most of the nurses were really nice. And I can't forget that I had a private room and bathroom.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Final Pregnancy Update and Birth Story
Felt like I needed to tie up a few loose ends from my last update. A lot of this shows how perfect God's timing is. So here goes:
* The guy did come and finish our bathroom. He finished the job the Friday before Dylan was born and we got the bathroom back to working order shortly thereafter.
* I was able to get the massage two days before Dylan was born. Some say it might have helped to induce labor. Or it could have been the Jambalaya I ate for lunch right before the contractions started.
* Also, two days before Dylan was born, Martin and I went on the PALS field trip. It was great, especially for Martin. The boy that Martin tutored last year was there and he was so excited to see Mr. Martin. He was his buddy the whole trip. We did quite a bit of walking that day. I was slow going but I made it. Maybe I wouldn't have went if I knew I was going to give birth in two days. Or maybe that was another thing that helped induce labor.
* I finished up the thank you notes from my shower when I (as I later realized) was in labor on Sunday.
* The few things left on my to do list (finish organizing boxes of stuff I haven't touched since we moved, order more diapers, learn to use my breast pump, finish reading some books) were able to wait until later. I have made progress on them but things are a lot more slower going now that Dylan is here. I had most of the things packed but I did still have to pack some things as we were heading to the hospital. But I a bad packer. The things I ended up needing (like shampoo and conditioner) I forgot but then brought a whole bunch of things I didn't end up using or needing (extra clothes, CD player).
* I'm so glad I planned on not going back into the office after the 27th. I was able to tie up most loose ends and the things I didn't were able to wait. It was hard trying to finish up as much as possible but still leave stuff to do if I didn't have the baby for a while. I'm glad I didn't have to telework for two weeks. I still had to do all the paperwork for teleworking since I will be teleworking some when I go back so that was not lost.
* Scroll down to read my birth story (it's out of order since I started it on an earlier date). Martin actually wrote it for me after hearing me tell the story a few times. (Martin and I share the job of historian in our family - he journals about significant events (our engagement, vacations, etc.) and I organize the pictures. So Martin had already started the log of Dylan's birth and just wrote it as if he were me for the blog.) I fully endorse all he wrote as accurate...:)
* The guy did come and finish our bathroom. He finished the job the Friday before Dylan was born and we got the bathroom back to working order shortly thereafter.
* I was able to get the massage two days before Dylan was born. Some say it might have helped to induce labor. Or it could have been the Jambalaya I ate for lunch right before the contractions started.
* Also, two days before Dylan was born, Martin and I went on the PALS field trip. It was great, especially for Martin. The boy that Martin tutored last year was there and he was so excited to see Mr. Martin. He was his buddy the whole trip. We did quite a bit of walking that day. I was slow going but I made it. Maybe I wouldn't have went if I knew I was going to give birth in two days. Or maybe that was another thing that helped induce labor.
* I finished up the thank you notes from my shower when I (as I later realized) was in labor on Sunday.
* The few things left on my to do list (finish organizing boxes of stuff I haven't touched since we moved, order more diapers, learn to use my breast pump, finish reading some books) were able to wait until later. I have made progress on them but things are a lot more slower going now that Dylan is here. I had most of the things packed but I did still have to pack some things as we were heading to the hospital. But I a bad packer. The things I ended up needing (like shampoo and conditioner) I forgot but then brought a whole bunch of things I didn't end up using or needing (extra clothes, CD player).
* I'm so glad I planned on not going back into the office after the 27th. I was able to tie up most loose ends and the things I didn't were able to wait. It was hard trying to finish up as much as possible but still leave stuff to do if I didn't have the baby for a while. I'm glad I didn't have to telework for two weeks. I still had to do all the paperwork for teleworking since I will be teleworking some when I go back so that was not lost.
* Scroll down to read my birth story (it's out of order since I started it on an earlier date). Martin actually wrote it for me after hearing me tell the story a few times. (Martin and I share the job of historian in our family - he journals about significant events (our engagement, vacations, etc.) and I organize the pictures. So Martin had already started the log of Dylan's birth and just wrote it as if he were me for the blog.) I fully endorse all he wrote as accurate...:)
The Sixth of November
For those of you new to my blog, I started the blog a year ago (Happy Birthday blog) around the time of Martin's and my first anniversary; hence, the name - the sixth of november. Last year this time, I was reflecting on a year of marriage and thinking about what was next for my career and family goals. Usually folks will give you a year of being married before they start asking about kids. But after that most bets are off so I was starting to prepare for the questions. Little did I know or foresee that within a year's time our first child would be born.
As I mentioned in earlier posts, Martin and I tried to do some anniverary celebrating before Dylan arrived. We had our baby moon which was like an anniversary get-away and we went out to dinner for our dating anniversary in case we couldn't go out to dinner on our anniversary - which ended up being the case. This year on the sixth of november we got to spend just about the whole day together which was cool, since Martin was still on leave from work. I went to a breastfeeding support group in the morning for an hour or two which allowed Martin some time to seek out and get me roses (his tradition for special occasions). I was so thrilled by the flowers. We didn't go out to eat but we had a friend bring over a meal and we ate it by candlelight - see picture. (No picture of us since we really didn't look good enough for a picture.) We also had the sparkling cider that we had planned to drink on two previous occasions but forgot. So it was a special day even though we stayed in.
As I mentioned in earlier posts, Martin and I tried to do some anniverary celebrating before Dylan arrived. We had our baby moon which was like an anniversary get-away and we went out to dinner for our dating anniversary in case we couldn't go out to dinner on our anniversary - which ended up being the case. This year on the sixth of november we got to spend just about the whole day together which was cool, since Martin was still on leave from work. I went to a breastfeeding support group in the morning for an hour or two which allowed Martin some time to seek out and get me roses (his tradition for special occasions). I was so thrilled by the flowers. We didn't go out to eat but we had a friend bring over a meal and we ate it by candlelight - see picture. (No picture of us since we really didn't look good enough for a picture.) We also had the sparkling cider that we had planned to drink on two previous occasions but forgot. So it was a special day even though we stayed in.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Poll: So who does he look like?
Here are some more pictures of Dylan. Maybe you all can help us figure out if he looks like either me or Martin. I don't know how to do polls so leave your vote in the comments. Thanks!
Friday, November 03, 2006
My Birth Experience
Our son, Dylan Graham, was born at 3:45 PM on a beautiful fall Monday. While this seems so matter of fact, the events leading up to it were full of pain, tears, joy, apprehension, and excitement.
After church we hosted our friends Bill and Jill for lunch and fellowship. Since they had recently moved back to the area, it was a good time to catch up. During lunch, I begun to feel small contractions. Small contractions a few weeks before delivery is normal, so I paid little attention to them. However they continued into the night. We went to bed at 9:30 since the contractions seemed to lessen then. Since the due date was still 11 days off and I had no previous signs of a nearing labor, I assumed they would go away.
But the contractions resumed with varying intensity at a continued through the night. With little hope of sleep, I took a bath and tried to read. Finally around 6:30 the next morning with the contractions not ceasing, I decided to call the doctor. The doctor said to go to the hospital and get checked out. If the progress was not much, the hospital would send me home.
We quickly assembled the remaining items to be packed and ate breakfast (see picture of me eating Wheaties). The toilet overflowed right before we left and Martin had to quickly clean it up. We made the trip to the hospital expecting to be sent home in the rush hour traffic.
After a few unnecessary laps around the hospital (we missed Registration on the way to Labor & Delivery) the triage nurse removed the idea of heading home. I was already 3 cm dilated and fully effaced.
Soon thereafter (around 9am) we found ourselves in Labor & Delivery Rm 13. Fearing this was some sort of omen, my pain continued, mostly in my back. Fetal monitors were attached and the back pain was excaberated by having to lay in bed. Dr. Anderson came in around 10am and suggested breaking the water to speed things along. I decided that the time wasn't right and decided to evaluate later. Plus, I really didn't believe it would work. I just thought it would make my labor more difficult and not any shorter.
I had gone in with hopes of not having an epidural unless I really couldn't deal with the pain. Fortunately, this allowed me freedom to move around since the monitors were only necessary 15 minutes out of every hour. Martin helped me walk around the ward. The best position during the contractions was to lean on something (almost anything and everything was used), sway back and forth, and have Martin massage my lower back.
Contractions seemed to come in groups. This, along with the back labor, was indicative that the baby was facing forward instead of backward. After little progress I decided to have my water broken around 2:00pm. Shortly after, the contractions became more frequent (the end of one and beginning of another were indistinguishable at time) and at a higher intensity. (My contractions never were regular during the whole labor. So the whole wait to go to the hospital until your contractions are 5 minutes apart and last for a minute and continue for an hour would not have worked for me.)
The nurse kept me the monitors on longer and the pain became more and more unbearable. Finally around 3:00pm I decided to have the epidural. As the anestioligist was prepping, I began to feel the urge to push. When I announced this, he quickly backed away and got the nurse. The baby was coming and there was little time for an epidural.
The moment became incredibly emotional and passed so fast. A flood of people were in the room performing some function unbeknowst to Martin or myself. I bore down three times on each contraction. Martin and the nurse each held up a leg as I pushed. This was something I didn't feel prepared for. I didn't know that you weren't supposed to breath out during the pushing (unlike how you do when exercising). It's more forceful if you hold your breath. Then the labor nurse asked me if I learned in my childbirth class to count during the pushing or just push as I felt led. If we went over that i didn't remember. I found counting to ten helped me to push longer so I went with that. The doctor and labor nurse said I was a good pusher and they were impressed with how much he moved during the pushing. It didn't seem to me that he was moving. Dylan was low to begin with so it was more him (and all the prayers for a quick delivery) and not so much me (despite the Wheaties I ate that morning) that got him out so fast. After pushing for three contractions, the doctor rushed to put on another gown and there was a lot of preparations that now as I look back on it, meant that he was coming real soon. After the fourth contraction, Dylan came out the right way (with the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck though he never showed any signs of distress). I couldn't believe it had happened so quickly after I said I was ready to push. I remember knowing that his head was out and thinking the worst was over. After that, Dylan was quickly delivered onto my stomach and Martin cut the cord. The time was 3:45pm.
Dylan was given a number of tests (he got 8 & 9 on his Apgars), weighed (6lbs 8oz) and measured (19.5" long, 12 3/4" head, 12 3/4" chest). He warmed under the incubator and given Vitamin K ointment. After a while we were left alone to enjoy our first few moments together. He was so beautiful and so fragile. Until now, he had been abstract, not something we had seen. We've known that we loved him even before we saw him. But know we can see him and touch him. He is so precious to us.
After church we hosted our friends Bill and Jill for lunch and fellowship. Since they had recently moved back to the area, it was a good time to catch up. During lunch, I begun to feel small contractions. Small contractions a few weeks before delivery is normal, so I paid little attention to them. However they continued into the night. We went to bed at 9:30 since the contractions seemed to lessen then. Since the due date was still 11 days off and I had no previous signs of a nearing labor, I assumed they would go away.
But the contractions resumed with varying intensity at a continued through the night. With little hope of sleep, I took a bath and tried to read. Finally around 6:30 the next morning with the contractions not ceasing, I decided to call the doctor. The doctor said to go to the hospital and get checked out. If the progress was not much, the hospital would send me home.
We quickly assembled the remaining items to be packed and ate breakfast (see picture of me eating Wheaties). The toilet overflowed right before we left and Martin had to quickly clean it up. We made the trip to the hospital expecting to be sent home in the rush hour traffic.
After a few unnecessary laps around the hospital (we missed Registration on the way to Labor & Delivery) the triage nurse removed the idea of heading home. I was already 3 cm dilated and fully effaced.
Soon thereafter (around 9am) we found ourselves in Labor & Delivery Rm 13. Fearing this was some sort of omen, my pain continued, mostly in my back. Fetal monitors were attached and the back pain was excaberated by having to lay in bed. Dr. Anderson came in around 10am and suggested breaking the water to speed things along. I decided that the time wasn't right and decided to evaluate later. Plus, I really didn't believe it would work. I just thought it would make my labor more difficult and not any shorter.
I had gone in with hopes of not having an epidural unless I really couldn't deal with the pain. Fortunately, this allowed me freedom to move around since the monitors were only necessary 15 minutes out of every hour. Martin helped me walk around the ward. The best position during the contractions was to lean on something (almost anything and everything was used), sway back and forth, and have Martin massage my lower back.
Contractions seemed to come in groups. This, along with the back labor, was indicative that the baby was facing forward instead of backward. After little progress I decided to have my water broken around 2:00pm. Shortly after, the contractions became more frequent (the end of one and beginning of another were indistinguishable at time) and at a higher intensity. (My contractions never were regular during the whole labor. So the whole wait to go to the hospital until your contractions are 5 minutes apart and last for a minute and continue for an hour would not have worked for me.)
The nurse kept me the monitors on longer and the pain became more and more unbearable. Finally around 3:00pm I decided to have the epidural. As the anestioligist was prepping, I began to feel the urge to push. When I announced this, he quickly backed away and got the nurse. The baby was coming and there was little time for an epidural.
The moment became incredibly emotional and passed so fast. A flood of people were in the room performing some function unbeknowst to Martin or myself. I bore down three times on each contraction. Martin and the nurse each held up a leg as I pushed. This was something I didn't feel prepared for. I didn't know that you weren't supposed to breath out during the pushing (unlike how you do when exercising). It's more forceful if you hold your breath. Then the labor nurse asked me if I learned in my childbirth class to count during the pushing or just push as I felt led. If we went over that i didn't remember. I found counting to ten helped me to push longer so I went with that. The doctor and labor nurse said I was a good pusher and they were impressed with how much he moved during the pushing. It didn't seem to me that he was moving. Dylan was low to begin with so it was more him (and all the prayers for a quick delivery) and not so much me (despite the Wheaties I ate that morning) that got him out so fast. After pushing for three contractions, the doctor rushed to put on another gown and there was a lot of preparations that now as I look back on it, meant that he was coming real soon. After the fourth contraction, Dylan came out the right way (with the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck though he never showed any signs of distress). I couldn't believe it had happened so quickly after I said I was ready to push. I remember knowing that his head was out and thinking the worst was over. After that, Dylan was quickly delivered onto my stomach and Martin cut the cord. The time was 3:45pm.
Dylan was given a number of tests (he got 8 & 9 on his Apgars), weighed (6lbs 8oz) and measured (19.5" long, 12 3/4" head, 12 3/4" chest). He warmed under the incubator and given Vitamin K ointment. After a while we were left alone to enjoy our first few moments together. He was so beautiful and so fragile. Until now, he had been abstract, not something we had seen. We've known that we loved him even before we saw him. But know we can see him and touch him. He is so precious to us.
Sweet October
"The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17
As most of you know from Martin's email, our son came into the world a little earlier than expected. Dylan Graham was born on October 30th at 3:45 PM. He weighed 6 lbs 8 oz and is 19.5 inches long.
The passage above was the sermon text at our church on Sunday a few hours before I began to have contractions. This had already been a very special passage to me when thinking about Dylan coming into the world and how the Lord delights over him. One Sunday a few weeks ago we were sing the praise song that uses this passage for lyrics While singing I glanced down at my belly and started weeping for joy. It was a very appropriate that we heard a sermon on this text the day before Dylan was born. The words are also very true for Dylan and comforting for his parents - the Lord truly does rejoice and delights in him.
Thank you all for rejoicing in the blessing that Dylan is to us. We thought it would be a Sweet November, but October turned out to be pretty sweet as well.
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Heather's Pregnancy FAQ
This morning's bulletin had our names and the due date of our baby listed under "Great Expectations." So we had a lot of people asking us questions this morning. As some of you may know I'm not very good at answering vague small talk questions (e.g. "How are you?), especially multiple times in one day. So I was complaining about having to answer the "are you excited" question to my mom who had asked. Martin heard me and came drafted this FAQ for all those who want to know more about the impending birth and how we feel about it. :) I feel like I have to communicate something unique and witty every time I'm asked one of these so that's why I kind of get drained by such questions but I love that people want to know and don't feel bad if you asked me one of these questions recently. I post this for humor's sake and in case you really do want to know and haven't asked.
***************************************************
The following FAQ is provided so that readers will be able to understand Heather’s readiness and attitude toward the rapidly approaching birth of her first son.
Q: How are you feeling?
A: I am still feeling really good, most of the times. There are instances where it is difficult trying to find a comfortable position, mostly when I am trying to sleep.
Q: Are you nervous?
A: I am nervous, but it is more so focused on caring for our newborn son than the birth experience. Of course that idea does provide a little bit anxiety.
Q: Are you excited?
A: Yes, I am excited. I am anxious to see our son for the first time.
Q: Are you ready?
A: I feel that I am as prepared as I can be. Readiness implies a mental state that I am not sure if I’ll be ready for.
***************************************************
The following FAQ is provided so that readers will be able to understand Heather’s readiness and attitude toward the rapidly approaching birth of her first son.
Q: How are you feeling?
A: I am still feeling really good, most of the times. There are instances where it is difficult trying to find a comfortable position, mostly when I am trying to sleep.
Q: Are you nervous?
A: I am nervous, but it is more so focused on caring for our newborn son than the birth experience. Of course that idea does provide a little bit anxiety.
Q: Are you excited?
A: Yes, I am excited. I am anxious to see our son for the first time.
Q: Are you ready?
A: I feel that I am as prepared as I can be. Readiness implies a mental state that I am not sure if I’ll be ready for.
Friday, October 27, 2006
Would you induce on Halloween just to get "your" doctor?
So I was talking to this guy at work today about his wife who is due on November 11th. Apparently she has been progressing pretty quickly and her doctor says that she's "probably" going to go into labor pretty soon. The woman's doctor's is on a rotation with other doctors and her day to deliver babies is Tuesday. The doctor told the woman that she wouldn't make it until the 7th so they have scheduled an induction for this Tuesday, october 31st.
So maybe it's because I've been reading about all this delivery "management" stuff and how it can be bad, or maybe the idea of just having one doctor and being so into that doctor is foreign to me, or maybe the idea of giving birth on Halloween (no offense to Josh's mom) just bugs me, but this sounds crazy to me! Is it really that important to have this one doctor delivery your baby? From my understanding, they're not even there for that long. I know another woman who did this - she was induced 3 days before her due date to get a certain doctor. If there weren't risks to inductions, I don't think I would have a problem with this but from what I've been reading, it would not be worth it. I know there can be good reasons for inductions but that's to mitigate other risks. Here there are no other risks. Well, this guy says they are afraid the baby might be too big but those measurement techniques are so flawed. And even if there weren't other risks of induction, having a baby on Halloween would be a reason that would overide having a certain doctor in my mind.
All this makes me more thankful for my doctors. I have seen all three of them at least 3 times, and I like them all enough that I'm totally comfortable with them delivering my child. Except for some totally unforseen circumstances, one of them will be delivering our baby. Plus they don't seem to be caught up in this delivery management crap. Like I said, they didn't check to see if I was dilated. Granted I do have a favorite of the three doctors but I'm not going be induced just to get him.
So maybe it's because I've been reading about all this delivery "management" stuff and how it can be bad, or maybe the idea of just having one doctor and being so into that doctor is foreign to me, or maybe the idea of giving birth on Halloween (no offense to Josh's mom) just bugs me, but this sounds crazy to me! Is it really that important to have this one doctor delivery your baby? From my understanding, they're not even there for that long. I know another woman who did this - she was induced 3 days before her due date to get a certain doctor. If there weren't risks to inductions, I don't think I would have a problem with this but from what I've been reading, it would not be worth it. I know there can be good reasons for inductions but that's to mitigate other risks. Here there are no other risks. Well, this guy says they are afraid the baby might be too big but those measurement techniques are so flawed. And even if there weren't other risks of induction, having a baby on Halloween would be a reason that would overide having a certain doctor in my mind.
All this makes me more thankful for my doctors. I have seen all three of them at least 3 times, and I like them all enough that I'm totally comfortable with them delivering my child. Except for some totally unforseen circumstances, one of them will be delivering our baby. Plus they don't seem to be caught up in this delivery management crap. Like I said, they didn't check to see if I was dilated. Granted I do have a favorite of the three doctors but I'm not going be induced just to get him.
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Update - Week 38
Any time now....so they say. I'm not feeling like labor is eminent. But that's okay. I'm not in too much of a hurry and I'm not that uncomfortable. Two comments from women at work this week that I'll share. Incidentally, both were told to me secondhand - "she doesn't look like she's in enough pain yet to be ready to have the baby" and "I thought she was just gaining weight." The last one is probably THE worst thing you can say to a pregnant woman. That means this person thinks I've gained weight in the areas unrelated to pregnant (like my face and arms). But I won't let it phase me. I'm going to take the blessing of an easy pregnancy and praise God for it. Who cares if people think I've "earned" it. And I've had others say I don't look fat in the face so those outweigh the other comment.
Funny fact though - at this point in my sister's pregnancy, she had already given birth! And she was anxious for him to come about 3 weeks before that mostly because she had a lot of signs that labor was coming. I haven't really had an signs.
Doctor appointment yesterday went well. She didn't check to see if I was dilated which seemed a little weird to me but apparently I didn't have any other signs so it wasn't necessary. Baby's heartbeat was 128 and I was measuring (belly) right on target. She couldn't tell if he had dropped yet but she did say he was head down. And I don't have the group b strep. Yea! I actually lost about a pound since my last appointment so that evens out the 5 I gained before the last appointment. So 23 lbs so far. My bp was 104 over 60 so that was good too. I go back next Wednesday. Baby is still moving a lot. Especially when i eat halloween candy that my co-workers bring to work....
Speaking of my co-workers, they had a little celebration for me at our staff lunch on Tuesday. We had cookies and they bought me a Vermont Teddy Bear. He's dressed in a suit and is carrying a briefcase. He's very cute. I guess the idea was the baby can aspire to be a businessperson...(like his mom???? - also a message to me to encourage me to come back to work? I think at least one guy is worried I won't come back.) The one woman in the office got me some onesies and a bib and burp cloth set. (BTW, - this is mostly for my mom - we have tons of bibs, so please don't buy anymore, no matter how cute the baby's first veterans day bib is, please take a pass...:)
Still trying to go on one long walk on the weekends and then I've been walking during my commute. Went for a walk around a near-by neighborhood on Sunday. Next week I start teleworking so I'm going to have to do a walk around the lake each day to keep up the exercise.
Saturday Martin and I went to the movies probably for the last time in a while. We saw Man of the Year. We liked it. It was very funny. Something we were definitely in the mood for. Tuesday we went out to dinner (just at Tara Thai) since it was the 4 year anniversary of us starting to date officially. We figured we'd go out an celebrate that anniversary in case we don't get to celebrate our wedding anniversary this year. Although, we've been celebrating all month really with the baby moon and all. I told Martin what I got "us" for our anniversary. It was probably something more that I wanted so I told him he was off the hook for an anniversary present for me. Plus, I spent more than I was expecting to. I got this painting we got in Aruba on our Honeymoon framed. Something we've been meaning to do for a while. The framing of course was more than the painting itself. And that was with 50% off at Michaels. But I'm glad we're getting it and since we rearranged the room we really need something to go above the bed so that will go well there.
As far as getting things done, we actually did a lot this week. I guess the biggest was rearranging the bedroom and putting the pack-n-play in our room to use as a bassinet. Martin and our friend Mike did a great job moving the furniture. We really like the new arrangement and it seems like we have more room. I'm also very glad since my side of the bed is now near the bathroom so I won't be bumping into things at night when I get up.
The guy hasn't finished our bathroom yet though. He has to come back one more time and we thought he was coming yesterday but didn't show. Hopefully he'll come today and we can finally put our bathroom back together. Martin has been the one making sure he's home for when the guy comes and he also got the car seats inspected at the police station.
I also got all the baby clothes and diapers washed and ready to go. And we made some decisions on insurance and flexible spending accounts. I also finally got around to reading some of the books I've been wanting to read. I'm reading up on inductions since I guess it's getting more likely I'll go past my due date.
Maybe the baby is getting ready to come since I haven't pack the bag yet for the hospital. Once I do that he can come...:) And after I have my prenatal massage on Saturday.
Funny fact though - at this point in my sister's pregnancy, she had already given birth! And she was anxious for him to come about 3 weeks before that mostly because she had a lot of signs that labor was coming. I haven't really had an signs.
Doctor appointment yesterday went well. She didn't check to see if I was dilated which seemed a little weird to me but apparently I didn't have any other signs so it wasn't necessary. Baby's heartbeat was 128 and I was measuring (belly) right on target. She couldn't tell if he had dropped yet but she did say he was head down. And I don't have the group b strep. Yea! I actually lost about a pound since my last appointment so that evens out the 5 I gained before the last appointment. So 23 lbs so far. My bp was 104 over 60 so that was good too. I go back next Wednesday. Baby is still moving a lot. Especially when i eat halloween candy that my co-workers bring to work....
Speaking of my co-workers, they had a little celebration for me at our staff lunch on Tuesday. We had cookies and they bought me a Vermont Teddy Bear. He's dressed in a suit and is carrying a briefcase. He's very cute. I guess the idea was the baby can aspire to be a businessperson...(like his mom???? - also a message to me to encourage me to come back to work? I think at least one guy is worried I won't come back.) The one woman in the office got me some onesies and a bib and burp cloth set. (BTW, - this is mostly for my mom - we have tons of bibs, so please don't buy anymore, no matter how cute the baby's first veterans day bib is, please take a pass...:)
Still trying to go on one long walk on the weekends and then I've been walking during my commute. Went for a walk around a near-by neighborhood on Sunday. Next week I start teleworking so I'm going to have to do a walk around the lake each day to keep up the exercise.
Saturday Martin and I went to the movies probably for the last time in a while. We saw Man of the Year. We liked it. It was very funny. Something we were definitely in the mood for. Tuesday we went out to dinner (just at Tara Thai) since it was the 4 year anniversary of us starting to date officially. We figured we'd go out an celebrate that anniversary in case we don't get to celebrate our wedding anniversary this year. Although, we've been celebrating all month really with the baby moon and all. I told Martin what I got "us" for our anniversary. It was probably something more that I wanted so I told him he was off the hook for an anniversary present for me. Plus, I spent more than I was expecting to. I got this painting we got in Aruba on our Honeymoon framed. Something we've been meaning to do for a while. The framing of course was more than the painting itself. And that was with 50% off at Michaels. But I'm glad we're getting it and since we rearranged the room we really need something to go above the bed so that will go well there.
As far as getting things done, we actually did a lot this week. I guess the biggest was rearranging the bedroom and putting the pack-n-play in our room to use as a bassinet. Martin and our friend Mike did a great job moving the furniture. We really like the new arrangement and it seems like we have more room. I'm also very glad since my side of the bed is now near the bathroom so I won't be bumping into things at night when I get up.
The guy hasn't finished our bathroom yet though. He has to come back one more time and we thought he was coming yesterday but didn't show. Hopefully he'll come today and we can finally put our bathroom back together. Martin has been the one making sure he's home for when the guy comes and he also got the car seats inspected at the police station.
I also got all the baby clothes and diapers washed and ready to go. And we made some decisions on insurance and flexible spending accounts. I also finally got around to reading some of the books I've been wanting to read. I'm reading up on inductions since I guess it's getting more likely I'll go past my due date.
Maybe the baby is getting ready to come since I haven't pack the bag yet for the hospital. Once I do that he can come...:) And after I have my prenatal massage on Saturday.
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