feeling good still:)

I've been sleeping a lot. It's hard for me to get up in the morning. I got up today at 10am. I could have slept until noon. I got up to run some errands, so walked around downtown Berkeley. I had another OB appt today. My stats are the same
3cm
75% effaced
148.5lbs. I stood on the scale that is 2lbs less:). I was 148.5 last week, too, but I told the nurse I was 148, since the scale didn't really have a 1/2 marker. Well, I'm glad I didn't gain anymore:). I think all the yoga is helping. I went to yoga 3 times this week and if no labor, I'll go again on Saturday morning. I'll probably walk to the post office again tomorrow to turn in my PO box key.
I went to Rockridge Kids today as well to check out the glider. It seems like a very helpful piece of furniture for breastfeeding. It's a bit pricey, so not sure if I'm ready to take the plunge. I've heard it's a good investment though.

I'm not feeling anxious. I have a few more things to purchase, a new filter for our humidifier. I forgot to get it when I went to Target earlier this week. Then I'll buy a couple of Cornish hens to cook beforehand and freeze. I can't believe my expected due date is only 4 days away, but I think the baby "bob" will be late. The first one is usually late. The OB will late me wait 41 weeks and a few days after that than they will suggest induction by drugs, which I do not want at all.

Hopefully, we will not have to go down that route.

38 weeks and 7 days

I went to yoga this morning. It was a great class, lots of hamstring stretches. Then I went to IKEA to get some shelf liners. Tomorrow's project is to cleanup and organize the kitchen table and kitchen shelf. It's very disorganized right now.

I'm feeling better now than I've felt since the beginning of the pregnancy. I talked to M. today, a friend who gave birth earlier in the year. She was shocked to hear that I'm going natural and asked if I was afraid. One of my aunts asked if I was afraid. I'm a little annoyed by their questions. I told them I wasn't afraid. I feel prepared as much as I can. My mind is on the mode of no drugs, so I do hope and pray that's how the birth will turn out. I don't like it when people ask me if I'm afraid. A better question would be, "how do you feel?" The answer is well-rested and relaxed. I felt rushed a couple of weeks ago b/c my OB predicted I would give birth this week. I felt really anxious b/c we didn't have diapers, a place for the baby to sleep, and the clothes haven't been washed. Now I feel more prepared. If I do go into labor now, I'm ready.

Yes, no epidural will be painful, but I've been looking forward to this experience for a very long time. This unique experience only women are given the opportunity to go through and I want to go through with it. Getting an epidural is slippery slope, it's the epidural, the catheter b/c you can pee on your own, IV, then maybe an emergency C-section. I don't want to go down that route, if I can help it. My doula has been great. She said, for people who want do all natural usually can do it all natural. I can do this. I have to remember to tell myself and have DH remind me that I can do this.

We are looking forward to meeting you baby. Just saying those words bring tears to my eyes. I cry so very easily.

Moms

Hooter Hider
http://www.mom4life.com/articles.php (have a free give away if you mention "Preg Mag" when you order, you will receive a free gift.
http://www.bebeaulait.com/ (original makers I think, bebe au lait and
hooter hider are the same thing, they change the name b/c it sounds
better)



Great local resource
http://www.bananasinc.org/calendar.php (I took a lot of free parenting
classes from here)
http://www.altabates.com/health/cpsg_childbirth.html



Breastfeeding:
http://lllnorcal.org/groups/OaklandBerkeleyCA.html
http://breastfeeding.org/english.html
http://www.tumbleandtea.com/workshops.html
http://www.birthways.org (breastfeeding class is $35, I didn't sign up in time)
http://sacredbirthplace.com/classes/index.html
http://www.whrc.ucsf.edu/whrc/lactation_resources.html
http://sanfrancisco.parentzone.com/parentresources.asp?prid=640
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2004pres/20040604.html
http://www.kellymom.com/

Slings/baby wearers
http://www.thebabywearer.com/

product safety
http://safemama.com/

baby personal care products
http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/parentsguide/index.php?nothanks=1

alternatives to baby wipes
Quickables
http://parents.berkeley.edu/recommend/where2buy/diaper_wipes.html
http://www.allegromedical.com/ search on quickables
http://www.firstannouncement.com/

shopping/online registry instead of babies r us
http://coolmompicks.com/
http://www.felicite.com/
http://www.stylehive.com/

christian parenting philosophy (these are things I'm looking into for
myself, not really endorsing any of them)
http://aolff.com/?page_id=2
http://www.ezzo.info/feeding.htm
http://www.ezzotruth.com/growing-kids-gods-way-testimonials.html
http://www.gfi.org/java/jsp/index.jsp
http://www.growingkids.org/

parenting
http://www.childhoodmatters.org/index.html

Exercises Post Partum
babybootcamp.com

38 weeks and 4 days

My stats from yesterday's OB appt:
3cm
75% effaced
head is still floating (pretty much the same as last week)
I'm planning on doing more squats in the next few days.

I'm feeling really relaxed and well-rested. This week is probably the best I've felt since the start of the pregnancy. I don't feel like "please have the baby now." I have a couple of errands to run today. I'm planning on walking to the post office and the bank:). Woo hoo! My exercise for the day. Yesterday, I had lunch and dinner with different friends.

Off to my errands. Baby is moving a bit today.

no strep B

I had my strep B test last week as well. They take a swab down there. Good thing I don't have it then I don't have to be in a rush to go to the hospital and get antibiotics in case my water breaks.

counting down

At my last appt, my stats were
3cm
75% effaced
146 lbs, I think I must have mis-read the scale or measured incorrectly last time. I don't think it's likely to loose 3lbs in 1 weeks unless I had a lot of fluid in my system last time.

Well, I have another appt today, so we'll see how much I'm dilated this week. Yoga has been a bit tougher. My uterus tightens up quite a bit, so I guess it must be more braxton hicks. I'm remembering to stay hydrated.

Every once in awhile, I'll comment to my DH, "we're having a baby." It still feels unreal. I still can't believe it most of the time. Even though there is this thing growing and giggling inside of me and I know it's coming out. I still can't believe it, it'll be our baby.


Well, I'm at 38 weeks and 3 days now. If there are not signs, this weekend, then I'll start squatting more that is suppose to help.

36 weeks and 4 days

I had another OB check-up yesterday. My stats:
149lbs(whoo, hoo), I've gained a total of 36lbs/33lbs(I lost 3 lbs the first month)
150bpm(baby's heart beat)
2cm dilated, 50% effacement

My OB thinks I will not make it to Sept 1(due date). I got all panicky. We still have a lot to do before the baby comes, like getting diapers and bottles and finding a pediatrician. Then I talk to my doula, she said those stats do not mean anything. She has known women who was at 3cm for a month and didn't go into labor and said your body will go into labor when it is ready. I also read in my Bradley Method Natural childbirth book that a good physician would not use those stats to predict your due date. She thinks I'll give birth the week of August 18. I read some more forums online and they agreed with the book. Some people were 100% effaced and didn't give birth until 41weeks. I am calmer now, but will still pack my bag this weekend, but not feel rushed. I start my maternity leave in 1 week and I wanted to enjoy sometime off of work before I give birth.

I'm thinking if we have another little one, I am switching OBs. I told my current OB that I wanted no drugs and want to experience this unique experience that only women can go through. Although people call it pain, I think it's a special and unique experience that I don't want to miss out on. She gave me a look like I was crazy. Definitely not into pro-natural birth. I don't think she'll go against my wishes, but she will definitely likely to encourage more medical interventions than less.

braxton hicks

I was walking to a book reading tonight. All of a sudden my belly felt like it was going to burst/pop. The sensation made it difficult for me to walk. A friend of mine told me those are Braxton Hicks. Since I've never felt them before I didn't know that's how they felt. I guess I've been having them since about 30 weeks when we were on Martha's Vineyard. I felt these tightening sensation in my belly/uterus. I think 30 weeks might be a little early for practice contractions, but then I read on pregnancy-info.net that you can have it anytime in the beginning of the first trimester. I guess maybe it's not too early to have them at 30weeks. We were walking around a lot and probably dehydrated, so that may have caused it. I am fine now of course, but we had to sit at Oaks Bluff in Martha's Vineyard for about 1 hr since my belly felt like it was about to burst.