I know I promised photos, but even though I don't feel too hideous in person, I'm feeling very non-photogenic - as in no matter how many photos Graeme takes of my profile, I think they all look horrible and am therefore going to keep them to myself. This is the style I want to go with for my pregnancy photos anyway - I'm thinking a series of silhouettes along the bottom of a photo album page will look quite cool. Yes, I am already planning baby photo albums/scrapbooks. No, I have not got anywhere near finishing the albums of our adventures so far, but I am hoping to start the baby one before the baby even arrives and try to keep it somewhat up-to-date.
So, as I mentioned on Sunday, I am now 30 weeks pregnant. It's strange to know that even if I go past the due date, it is still only just over 11 weeks until Squishy will be here. The hospital policy is that they induce at due date +10 days, which is 11 weeks tomorrow (and also the day AFTER my sister flies back to Australia, so we're all hoping baby comes on his/her own). We now know this piece of information because we have (today and last week) attended the ante-natal classes offered at the hospital. The classes were pretty good in getting us familiar with the hospital and what we can expect to happen and all that, but we kind of wished we could have ticked a box somewhere that said "yes, we are both quite intelligent and even with the pregnancy brain will understand things the first time you tell us, so please put us in the class for smarty-pants" because it did feel as though stuff was being 'dumbed down' (hate that term, but can't think of a better one) and repeated too much.
Anyway, that pregnancy brain I mentioned? Yeah, it's stopping me from being coherent and forming phrases, sentences and paragraphs that I am happy with. So I'll go back to the good old standby of bullet points...
- Squishy is still very much a wriggler, but is clearly starting to run out of space. I am constantly reminded that there is a baby in my belly, especially when I lay down to go to sleep or have just woken up myself. Graeme enjoys the sensation of pushing on my belly and getting kicked. I think it's funny when s/he shifts sides and my whole abdomen visibly moves.
- I've seen the GP a couple more times. My blood pressure insists on hovering at a level that is technically ok, but still high enough to be a potential problem if it changes. Yesterday there were minute traces of protein in my urine (sorry if that's too much info) so that's something else they 'have to keep an eye on'. As much as s/he moves around, Squishy is always lying head down (the way s/he should be) when I'm checked, which is good, and s/he has a good, healthy heartbeat. I feel like that is way more info than anyone would want to know about the physical stuff, but I'm sure some of you will appreciate it. At least I didn't tell you how many times a day I have to pee (just so you know, it's a lot - lol).
- I'm very much looking forward to having Squishy out here in the world. I'm even kind of looking forward to the actual giving-birth bit (which I'm currently planning on doing without an epidural, which shouldn't come as much surprise to anyone who knows how I feel about taking any sort of drugs - I'll even avoid paracetamol if I can). At exactly the same time though, I'm freaking out about all the things I feel I should have already done and wondering how exactly I will handle having a baby to look after 24 hours a day. I know logically that all a newborn needs is food, warmth, love and a clean nappy, but it's hard to quieten the part of me that wants everything to be 'perfect'... whatever that is.
- I've suddenly become really interested in hearing people's birth stories, so if you want to tell me any, please do. Did you choose to have drugs? What did you do to make labour more bearable? Did you have to be induced/have an emergency caesarean? How did you find breastfeeding in the beginning? Please don't worry about scaring me or anything - I've already read some shockers, but I'd like to know more from people I actually know, if that makes sense. Just email me if you don't want to share it with the world. Oh, and mum - I've seen forceps up close and in person now. Sorry I was such a stubborn baby and wouldn't come out :)
I dunno what else to say, so feel free to ask me if there's something obvious I should be telling you about and haven't even mentioned. Squishy says 'hi'.
Thursday, 27 March 2008
30 weeks (and 2 days)
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Ok so what do you want to know - you and Elizabeth were late, blood pressure was up with you and so you were only 6 days late and induced. Yes do not have an epidural but I don't remember the forceps just that had to use them to deliver you. I do remember dad having blood on his glasses cause he cut all your cords. By the time you were born I was exhausted and because it had been a LOOONG day you were taken to be checked out in the special care nursery and I slept for a while before being taken to the ward. Elizabeth was more compliant she was induced at 6am and born at 3.25pm but when they say don't push don't - she had the cord wrapped around her neck and they had to get that off or she would have choked.
ReplyDeleteJosh and Chris came about the right time, Josh decided to be a pain and stopped coming, so they sent dad home about midnight and told him to come back in the morning about 8am , he arrived at 10am. Chris on the other hand I had sat up most of the night with back pain and went to the hospital about 9am and he was born at 9pm.
Pain, contractions can happen anywhere in your body with Josh they were at the tops of my legs and it felt like they were pulling my legs off, Chris they were in my back more than front, you I couldn't feel them and hence it was difficult to know when to push etc.
BUT the pain is all forgotten about when you have that small or not so small bundle to hold in your arms.
Enjoy this last 10 weeks you will get the cleaning bug at some point but everything will be ok whether it is done or not. LOVE YOU
PS organising tickets next week, see you in October
Will email you the birth stories not because I dont want to share them but want to mke sure I include all the 'must remember to tell Kate' points. No worries about me not telling you everything but expect same in return!! Too much info never enough! Just felt very jealous when read Sue's last line!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the update Kate. It means a lot to us back here in Aus. Well for my stories, Graeme was a week late, he broke a little of his water which sent me in to hospital late one night but nothing happened until 9 am the next morning. Labour went for 4 and a bit hours, intense but short for a first baby. As he was so big I needed a bit of repair work. They didn't clean his nose out properly after the birth and he stopped breathing the next day whilst I was changing my first dirty nappy. They had to give him oxygen and put him in intensive care for a few days. Stephen was my difficult birth - also a week late. He was a face presentation so was 18 hours of difficult labour. He went into fetal distress and we were suddenly booked in for a cesarean but the midwife managed to pull him out after a large cut in a delicate area. Daniel was 10 days late and induced. Although nothing happened and all the others in the induction ward had their babies and I was still waiting. Labour finally started and the doctor went back to do afternoon surgery after awhile saying I would be ages yet. I had him 5 minutes later. Total labour 1.5 hours. So as you can see all different and your Mum seems to be the same. I had gas with the 3 labours but nothing else that I can recall. Maybe some pethedine with Steve plus I went on a drip as I dehydrated. I can remember sucking (or crunching) a lot of ice as well. I think everyone will tell a different story (and you notice that none of us have forgotten!) but you're mum is right. Nothing matters after you hold the baby in your arms. Even though Tony and I are divorced, it was an experience we will both never forget. Take care Love Karen.
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