The news is out!

This is the little guy who is no longer the youngest in the family anymore!

Over the past few weeks, we've been letting people know our "little secret" and now, since there are so many people to tell, I found a creative way to spread the word. I made this picture my profile picture in Facebook and wrote "I believe in meaningful tattoos". It's funny how many people take a few moments before they really read the tattoo and put 2 and 2 together!

I am finding that although I am totally thrilled to be having another baby, and every pregnancy is exciting and special to me, the idea of another child really isn't a big deal! You get to the point where it's like... What's one more... the more the merrier!

So on a "medical" note, we used our Angel Sounds home doppler this week. I know I had intended to wait until I was a little further along, but I just couldn't resist. I have been feeling this baby move these past couple weeks, and there was something sentimental to me about hearing the heartbeat for the first time. So, on Tuesday afternoon, we fairly easily found the baby's heartbeat! The one thing that is different about the Angel Sounds doppler is that instead of a "clippitty clop" horse trot sound that you hear with the commercial doppler at the doctor's office, you just hear the more swooshy sound, but it is unmistakably fast. Since we could hear two different heartbeats (mine, which is slower) and the fast one, we knew for sure who we were listening to! It was pretty cool.

So tomorrow I will be 17 weeks pregnant (approximately..) I just checked out my exercise log, and because I lost some weight right at the beginning of my pregnancy, so far I have not gained any weight, I'm still about 4 pounds less then when I started out. I'm not worried at all because I have seen my weight start to creep up slightly in the past few weeks by a couple pounds, and I have been trying to eat well and I still exercise.

I started to drink Red Raspberry Leaf tea this week as well. I'm starting with one tea bag per day (or 1 small pot's worth) and I plan to work up to about 3 bags a day in the last couple months. I wonder a little if that was part of my problem with my last labor. If my uterus is "toned" as they say, then maybe my labor would be more efficient. I can't remember if I had been drinking RRL tea prior to my easiest labor (#3, a waterbirth) but I do remember that I had been exercising a bit more consistently, albeit just one my exercise bike for 20 minutes, 3 times a week.

This time around I am exercising a little more strenuously, using my stairclimber 3-4 times a week, usually for 30-40 min. I'm always quite sweaty and hot by the end and I work up my heart rate! I'll have to write a blog about exercise during pregnancy in the near future because this is one of the issues that there is a lot of controversy about.

Okay, it's time for me to get on with my day!

Checking out some good links!

I'm home alone for a bit...
It's Canada day and my husband took the big kids to watch fireworks while I stay home with our sleeping toddler.

I've been looking for some good unassisted birth links...

http://www.empoweredchildbirth.com/about.html

http://www.unhinderedliving.com/childbirth.html

http://www.unassistedchildbirth.com/

I love the picture on Laura Shanley's site (the link above) because that birth position is the one I gravitate towards and find perfect - when no one is telling me what to do!!!

Well, I'll be sure to add some more links later... time to head to bed!

Second Trimester!

Yay! I've reached the second trimester. And to christen it, I've acquired a horrible cold. Yuck!

On another note, last night we told the kids about the new baby. Actually, my 9 year old daughter guessed when we said that we had something to tell them. Silly, insightful girl! It is really neat how in a big family, no one is upset by the thought of another sibling to share with... another person to take care of. They are all thrilled, wondering if it will be a boy or girl - and I think most votes are out for another boy so we are "even".

So just to make it clear, I'm not the type of person to wait out the first trimester for worry that I might miscarry. Even though I've had 1 miscarriage, I would prefer to have my family/friends supporting me if something did go wrong - then they would understand the situation. Our reasons for waiting this time were that we have had an incredible amount happening in our lives in the past few months - our nephew was living with us for 5 months (he just left yesterday), my husband had a major career change and we are thinking of selling our house/moving. Ah... so much stress! It actually surprised me that I could get pregnant with all that stress going on, but this baby has a purpose, obviously! Also, the fact that this will be the closest age difference between any of my children makes it interesting. I figured my fertility was supposed to slow down with time, not pick up!

As far as how I'm feeling - I can feel a lot of growth in my uterus in the past couple weeks. I can feel my fundus just a couple inches below my belly button now. I have been a little more nauseous in the past few days - but mostly because I also have a cold and I'm tired and that makes me more susceptible to nausea. Oh well, hopefully I feel better really soon!

I've been feeling a little strange this time around since I haven't seen a doctor or midwife. Normally I would have heard the heartbeat by now, and in that sense, it seems a little surreal. But I can feel the growth and change in my body and I've been here before! I just look forward to feeling the baby move in the next few weeks! I also did purchase a second-hand "Angel Sounds" home doppler. I know there are concerns/risks for ultrasound and doppler technology, but I think what I plan to do is use it very sparingly. And although I could probably use it now to find the baby's heartbeat, I think I will wait a few more weeks - I know that the majority of concerns with doppler technology has to do with frequency of use and use in early pregnancy. So I'm thinking around 18 weeks I'll give it a try, and then just use it every few weeks at the most.

Well, it's nap time for the little ones so I better get them to bed and have a nap myself!

Second Thoughts?

I was reading some one else's blog just a couple days ago and a woman was mentioning her transition from a UC to going back to having a midwife for her birth. She was reasoning that it was unfair to put the responsibility of "if anything goes wrong" onto her support people (specifically her husband,)and felt better about leaving that responsibility to a midwife who was trained. She also mentioned that the post-natal care was a real bonus... and I can agree with that!

So what do I think, and where does that leave me with wanting a natural birth and to have a UP and UC?

Well, I do agree that deciding to UC is a big decision. You are taking the responsibility into your own hands, and there is some element of "risk" involved. HOWEVER, those risks are not likely the kind that could be avoided "if only you had delivered at the hospital". What I mean is, most births are straightforward, with some variation in duration, patterns of contractions, etc. But most complications affecting the baby, if indeed serious, would likely be unavoidable as well at the hospital. My thought, is that you have more risk of complications from medical interventions than you do from "risking" an unassisted home birth.

I do have a caveat on this, however. One must be aware of what normal birth looks like, enough so, that if something is abnormal, you are on top of things. You must be willing to be in touch with yourself - intuition, relying on God, etc, and willing to hear that voice inside when it says "something isn't quite right."

I have to admit, that although I very much believe in natural birth, I have a couple tiny fears in the back of my mind that pop up from time to time. In the last couple of years, I had a friend whose baby, in utero, was diagnosed with a severe, life-threatening heart defect via ultrasound. Fortunately, they were able to do heart surgery within a week after birth and correct the problem. So I do recognize that there is a time and place that technology is helpful... so very helpful. But to be honest, I feel backed into a corner by the medical arena. Even if there were midwives available in my city, I'm not sure they would be entirely comfortable letting me remain pregnant as long as my body typically goes... which is beyond 42 weeks. And if I were to see a doctor, the pressure would be immense. I had enough trouble feeling the pressure from a doctor I saw very few times during my last pregnancy, and once he realized I was avoiding him and was 43 weeks pregnant, he was about to drop me as a patient.

So I think I'm right back where I started. I will take very good care of myself physically, and should the need arise, I will seek medical assistance. I am hoping, and trusting, however, that I will be in good health for the duration of this pregnancy, and that birth will be as uneventful as a hike up the mountain. (You know, some sore muscles and you need to rest and nourish yourself, but all in all you feel good about the accomplishment and are no worse for the wear.)

Here's the baby.... sort of!

Still Keeping My Secret

Well this pregnancy is soaring by already - why, I'm about 1/4 through it since I'll be 11 weeks on Friday. (And that is 1/4 of 44 weeks...) I'm starting to want to tell people but on the other hand, it's kind of fun to keep this secret. We've never kept a pregnancy quiet before, but with all the life/career changes we're going through right now, we just figured we should wait until the dust settles!

As far as how I'm feeling and stuff... It's funny because since I was around the 8-10 week mark, I found myself a little more nervous and more "aware" of my pregnancy, since that was the timing that I misscarried before having my last baby. I found myself wondering if I was really feeling pregnant, or if it was my imagination!

One of my typical pregnancy symptoms that I have the whole pregnancy is nasal congestion. I've read that it is due to changes in hormones and it plauges me from early pregnancy until I deliver. It isn't horrible, but I find myself snorting a little by morning, and needing to blow my nose.

So yes, I'm still congested. So yes, I'm really pregnant - I must be! Not to mention the fatigue and nausea. I haven't thrown up at all this pregnancy (bonus!)but I've felt "off" quite a bit and had the feeling of excess salivation that is really annoying.

On a positive side my cravings are unreal. Not that I'm craving bad food or anything but I will just want a certain food - whether it be a sandwich or grapefruit or whatever. Then when I eat it, it's like my tastebuds are dancing all over the place. Food tastes SOOOO freakin good right now! I love it! But then there are those times where I don't want to eat and everything turns me off - but I know if I don't eat something, I'll feel worse... Oh well.

I think my only challenge right now is getting my 14 (almost 15 month) old to sleep all night. He's doing so much better than he was a couple months ago, but it is hard for me to wake up in the wee hours of the morning to nurse him, and then have to try and get back to sleep. It really disrupts my sleep pattern and I find if I don't sleep enough, I have the worst pregnancy symptoms. Hopefully this is something we'll have figured out in the very near future.

Well, that's all for an update. Nothing much has changed - so nothing to report. I *think* I can feel my uterus just around my pubic bone. It's really hard to tell. I guess if things are all normal, it will be popping out in the next week or so and it will be really easy to feel where it is.

Well, I have a slightly sick baby I need to nurse now...

Prenatal Care Ideas for an Unassisted Pregnancy

I'm exploring all sorts of new ideas for this pregnancy, since I have decided to forgo any "normal" sense of prenatal care. I would have considered seeing a midwife for some prenatal care, but we have no midwives in our city which I find rather unfortunate. However, I'm fairly confident that I will be able to take care of myself and will intuitively know if anything is wrong. It is only at that point, if I sense anything is abnormal or "wrong" that I would seek the help of a medical professional.

So what does prenatal care look like when you plan a freebirth or unassisted pregnancy and birth? First, put very simply, I think it means: taking care of yourself in a pregnant state. I read something in an article that make perfect sense to me. It mentioned how doctors, and even midwives to a certain extent do not provide much in the way of "pre-natal care" rather, they provide prenatal testing and observation. How true that is!

I think of a typical doctor's appointment like I had in my last pregnancy. With my last baby I did plan to go unassisted, but wanted to safety net of a doctor that I could see if needed. So I went to a fraction of the regular appointments that most women would attend in a normal pregnancy care routine.

The appointments looked something like this:

1. Show up in the crowded, stuffy waiting room and check in. Next wait "patiently" or not so patiently next to snuffly kids, old people and other random individuals who may be harboring an infectious illness.

2. Wait longer. Doctors are always overworked, and behind with their patients so it is common for them to be 30-60 minutes behind schedule on any given day.

3. Finally! My name is called. The nurse grabs my chart, checks my weight on a scale and asks for a urine sample. Then I am sent to the cold, boring examination room.

4. Wait some more. Read some out-dated architecture magazines. Check the time... head out to the bathroom in the hall because although I've already given a "sample", I already need to pee again because I've been waiting so long.

5. The doctor arrives. He asks "How are you doing?" not really wanting a full-blown answer... only wanting and requiring any pertinent physical symptoms that may require his attention. He does not want to hear how I'm doing emotionally, nor how I am coping with this pregnancy, nor whether I am eating a healthy diet or continuing to exercise.

6. After some standard questions that are meant to "cover his butt", he checks my blood pressure. Of course, being that this is more like an interrogation room, not a comfy happy place that makes me think healthy thoughts about my baby, I am nervous and my blood pressure is slightly elevated.

7. Doctor quickly listens to baby's heartbeat with a Doppler and measures the height of my fundus. Little information is volunteered to me unless I specifically ask.

8. "See you in a about 4 weeks" he says, as he strips his latex gloves off and leaves the room.

Am I really that far off? I don't think so. I've always found the prenatal care routine in a regular medicalized setting to be cold, unfeeling and purely observational. Then there are all of the tests. Tests that most women probably have no need for... but they are considered routine. All aspects of pregnancy are measured by what is "normal" in the medical textbook. There is very little space for variation despite how different women are and how unique and individual a pregnancy can be.

Here's what I think my prenatal care will look like:

Lots of rest, good nutrition and healthy physical activity for myself.
Observe and track changes in weight, how I feel, fundal height (after about 15 weeks or so) and checking my blood pressure at the drug store monthly and maybe more often in the last weeks.
Listening to my body and baby and how I feel and making decisions based on that.
Massage and Chiropractic care in the later months to help deal with the changes in posture and any back/hip pain that may occur.
Relaxation and enjoyment of my final weeks... not stressing about how "overdue" the baby will go, but enjoying every movement and every day that I keep this baby so close to my heart.

I think the fundamental of my unassisted prenatal care is TRUST. Trusting my body, trusting my intuition, trusting that I was created to grow babies and give birth naturally. Even if I don't follow a textbook example of pregnancy, I believe that I am uniquely equipped to birth naturally and have a wonderful pregnancy and birth!!!