Here is the 34 week belly photo! Boy, am I getting chubby! The belly is big, but now I think my face is filling out and I am feeling very round everywhere. I am really trying to perfect the waddle too.
Sean and I enjoyed our childbirth class yesterday. A lot of the information was what we had read in books, but something about having the time to focus and have someone describe it to us was helpful. We also learned some massage techniques, breathing techniques, and laboring positions to try during the big event. We spent quite a lot of time on the birthing ball (essentially just the stability or exercise ball). I felt very self conscious and awkward when we were supposed to practice breathing techniques. We did deep breath, yoga type breathing which I think is my style. But we also did "Hee Hee Hoo" and variable "Pant Blow" breathing and I just couldn't be serious. I kept laughing and losing count and it really just seemed awfully complicated. Who knows, though, maybe in the midst of contractions I can fall back to it if needed.
We watched one video on the stages of birth and saw a couple of births, but we didn't dwell on that too much. We also went through medical interventions and cesarean sections. I really need to work on coming to terms with a c-section if it comes to that. I can't quite describe the anxiety that rises inside me when I hear about the whole procedure. I surely hope I can have the natural birth experience that I want, but I also realize I need to work on becoming more open-minded and realize that I can't predict how it will go and in some cases drugs and surgery are best. I guess I am most worried about losing control of the process and having things "done" to me. The good news is that Concord only has a 25% c-section rate which I believe is quite a bit lower than the nation's average. They also only have a 36% epidural rate (some hospitals are in the 90th percentile), so they are very in tune with women who want to go med-free.
There were about 7 couples in the class. Only one of them was due before Sean and I, while the rest were due sometime around Thanksgiving. One couple was expecting twins, however, and thought they would go early than their due date. We didn't have too much interaction with the other students, but some of the comments throughout the class were really funny. All in all, it was a good experience and just nice for Sean and I to have the time to sit and focus on this after all of the home-seeking drama that has been consuming our time. We are touring the birth center (called "the family place") at the hospital on Tuesday evening and I am looking forward to seeing exactly where the whole thing will go down.
2 comments:
Hi Sadie - i think you look wonderful, such a beautiful baby belly. i am sorry you've had such a hard house hunt. i'm glad though that you are ok with moving on. one less thing to worry about.
about, c/s...i totally hear you. i don't think i prepared myself enough emotionally about having one, despite the fact that we knew we had good odds due to noah being breech for so long. i'm still upset about it, to tell you the truth. i think you've been doing the best thing you can about the birth process and educating yourself. and most importantly, you and sean are butterball's best advocates during labor...and stick up for yourself if you have to. you know your body better than anyone else, and nature (in most cases) knows what to do. best of luck, my friend!! its so good to hear that the hospital and birthing center has a good reputation. email if you wanna talk baby, you know i love it!!
Hey! I remember the fun breathing practice. Our instructor made us stick our hands in a bowl of ice cubes and breathe through the pain! That was a joy! I think Mandy did a great job in her comment. You know what your body needs and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. I even had a written birthing plan that I brought in with both girls so my wishes could be known, even though there were a few things out of my hands. My main concern was holding both girls after birth and not allowing them to be taken away imeediately. I also made sure John was well aware of my wishes... and he can be pretty loud and clear when necessary! Anyway, it was nice with my OCD personality to have a plan!
So, Emily is having an argument with me today saying red hair is not real and real people don't have red hair. I said, "What about Ariel", she replies "Ariel is not real". So I ask, "What about Sadie and her family, they have red hair". She says "She's a princess so that doesn't count" Love you!!!!
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