What the heck did I get myself into?!

After 3 days of vomiting every single thing I ate (which wasn't much), I'm finally back to normal. Well, third trimester pregnancy normal. I experienced really horrible contractions every time I threw up and I have to admit that I was thinking, "WHAT THE HECK DID I GET MYSELF INTO?!". I wasn't questioning our home birth or even a natural birth but just labor/delivery in general haha!

I called one of my amazing midwives on Sunday (bet you can't reach an OB on a Sunday morning) after experiencing several awful contractions and she listened to my symptoms, reassured me that everything was normal at that point, gave me suggestions on things that I might be able to keep down (BRAT - bananas, rice, applesauce, toast), directed me to stay as hydrated as possible and was just so incredibly nurturing. She also reassured me that my contractions from vomiting probably went from 0-10 on the pain scale but typical labor contractions will build and my body will produce endorphins to help combat the pain. Let's hope my body has some pretty strong endorphins ready to go for labor!

As painful as those contractions were (and I promise I'm not a wuss), I'm actually glad that I experienced them because it not only gave me confidence (I can do anything for a day, maybe 2) but it also gave me perspective on how I might handle the real deal. Mr. Baby Fever was also so completely supportive - rubbing my back, leaving me alone when I asked him to and just getting me whatever I needed (food, drink, etc).

I had an appointment with my midwives yesterday and everything is looking great. Our baby is head down (I think he's been that way for at least a few weeks now) and I'm as healthy as can be (weight, blood pressure, etc). They did the Group B Strep test, which I didn't even feel...let's hope it comes back negative! I look forward to these appointments and so does Mr. Baby Fever. We've gotten to know our midwives on a personal level and have developed trust in them. I must say that I'm excited for our home birth, knowing exactly who will be in the room with us and that they are all people that I WANT in the room with us, which should make for a less stressful labor.

35 weeks & 5 days pregnant

Week 34: Honeydew

"Baby’s senses are continuing to improve -- when light peeks in through your (extremely) stretched belly, those tiny eyelids and irises blink and dilate. And, baby can now recognize and react to simple songs… time to start practicing your lullabies! Growth (at least inside your womb) is starting to slow, and you may notice baby descend into your pelvis at the end of this month."

How far along? 34wks & 6 days!

Maternity clothes? Love, love, love my Liz Lang maternity tank top. Oh and I also live in my swim suit, who knew that I would actually enjoy putting on a swimsuit at 34 weeks pregnant!

Stretch marks? It's official, I have a stretch mark. It is not too terrible and I'm putting lotion/oil on it like crazy.

Sleep? I get up at least 4 times at night to pee, then it takes me another hour to get back to sleep, and then this little guy kicks me awake...good times! We're planning on transitioning our 2 furkitties out of our bedroom at nights starting tomorrow...makes me a little sad but I don't want them blaming the baby.

Best moment this week? We had a blast taking maternity pics on Saturday!

Movement? This baby enjoys kicking my ribs - they seriously feel bruised...or broken. I've been having to ice them and I find it funny when I can feel him scurrying away from the cold. Move down baby.

Food cravings? GIVE ME FRUIT - strawberries, cherries, watermelon, YUM! Still this. Oh and I despise all of those 99 cent frosty comercials.

Gender? It's a Boy!!

Labor signs? Braxton Hicks are continuing...

What I miss? SLEEP and not being kicked in the ribs.

What I'm looking forward to? Finally meeting this little guy who is breaking my ribs!

Weekly Wisdom: I highly recommend seeing a chiropractor who specializes in the webster technique...I <3>

Milestones: Braxton Hicks continue. Our nursery is finished. We took maternity pics.

Emotions: Looking forward to not being so bipolar!

34 weeks & 6 days pregnant

Born Safely. Born Simply. Born At Home.

I just purchased this adorable shirt from Etsy seller Earth Bound Baby. I thought it would be perfect to put on my little guy right after the birth!


32 weeks & 2 days pregnant

Week 33: Honeydew

"Baby’s senses are continuing to improve -- when light peeks in through your (extremely) stretched belly, those tiny eyelids and irises blink and dilate. And, baby can now recognize and react to simple songs… time to start practicing your lullabies! Growth (at least inside your womb) is starting to slow, and you may notice baby descend into your pelvis at the end of this month."

How far along? 33wks & 6 days!

Maternity clothes? Living in my Liz Lang tank top - so comfy! I just bought a second one of these and I'm highly considering a third.

Stretch marks? It's official, I have a stretch mark. It is not too terrible and I'm putting lotion/oil on it like crazy.

Sleep? Oh how I miss my sleep! I seriously think that I will get better rest once this little guy is out of me!

Best moment this week? FINISHING OUR NURSERY!!! Besides a few DIY projects, it's is DONE!

Movement? This baby enjoys kicking my ribs - they seriously feel bruised. I've been having to ice them and I find it funny when I can feel him scurrying away from the cold. Move down baby.

Food cravings? GIVE ME FRUIT - strawberries, cherries, watermelon, YUM!

Gender? It's a Boy!!

Labor signs? Braxton Hicks are continuing...

What I miss? SLEEP!

What I'm looking forward to? Finally meeting this little guy who is breaking my ribs!

Weekly Wisdom: I know that it is hot, I don't need to be reminded of this just because I'm pregnant.

Milestones: Braxton Hicks continue. Our nursery is finished!

Emotions: I've never been so emotional in my life!

33 weeks & 6 days pregnant

Home Birth Liar

Mr. Baby Fever and I aren't telling very many people about our home birth for a lot of reason - mainly because most people aren't educated when it comes to home births and we don't want to spend a lot of effort educating at this point. I also don't want to feel like I have to defend my choice. There will be time for all of that after our baby is here. Right now all of my energy needs to selfishly be focused on myself and this baby - staying healthy, preparing for labor, etc.

A few days ago, I was shopping with a friend who recently had an induced and medicated hospital birth and she was asking me questions about the hospital that I would deliver at. I felt like a total liar for not being more upfront about my planned home birth but I just know that she wouldn't understand without me taking the effort to make her understand. Maybe I'm not giving her enough credit but when she found out I was planning for a natural birth she was very discouraging. I can only imagine what she would say about a home birth. I just feel like she doesn't have to explain her hospital birth choice to me so why should I have to explain my home birth choice to her!

Well, 44ish more days to go and I'll come clean ;-)

33 weeks & 5 days pregnant

Week 32: Still A Squash

"Baby’s energy is surging, thanks to the formation of white fat deposits beneath the skin. (Have those kicks and jabs to the ribs tipped you off yet?) Baby is also settling into sleep and waking cycles, though -- as you’ve also probably noticed -- they don’t necessarily coincide with your own. Also this month, all five senses are finally functional, and the brain and nervous system are going through major developments."

How far along? 32wks & 6 days!

Maternity clothes? Living in my Liz Lang tank top - so comfy!

Stretch marks? OMG, what is that?! It better not be the beginning of a stretch mark?! Baby, I thought we had an agreement that you wouldn't do this to me?!

Sleep? What's that? This little guy kicks me awake every 3 hours, unless if I'm already up from the pressure he's putting on my bladder. This 3rd trimester thing isn't fun.

Best moment this week? Finding out that a friend of Mr. Baby Fever had a home birth! It feels like we're part of some secret club. Oh and Mr. Baby Fever's co-workers just let us know that they are planning a shower for us!

Movement? He's on a 3 hour schedule right now (9pm, midnight, 3am, 6am) - wouldn't that be nice if he stayed that way once he's out! It sure beats waking up every hour!

Food cravings? Everything I can't have. My most recent and random craving was cheetos - I was begging Mr. Baby Fever to go get them for me but he was a good influence. I just need to keep thinking that there is no way I would feed my baby those foods once he's out so why do it to him now. I am however getting a frosty this weekend to help support the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, that craving is totally justified and I haven't had much ice cream this pregnancy!

Gender? It's a Boy!!

Labor signs? Braxton Hicks are starting...

What I miss? Mainly being able to sleep through the night.

What I'm looking forward to? Finishing up our never ending nursery!!!!!! Oh and we have a midwife appt on Monday, I always look forward to those.

Weekly Wisdom: We're all done with our Bradley classes and my weekly wisdom is to interview several instructors before signing up for a class in order to make sure that their personality/birthing philosophy aligns with your own! We picked the instructor closest to us (we didn't have very many options) but I would have been willing to drive for a better instructor.

Milestones: Braxton Hicks continue.

Emotions: I'm the type who NEVER cries and lately it seems like anything can make me cry. I don't even remember what Mr. Baby Fever said to me the other day (it wasn't bad at all I'm sure) but I started crying like it was the end of the world. He felt horrible and didn't even know what he said or did. Makes me laugh now lol, poor guy. I'm very lucky to have the husband I do because I certainly wouldn't want to put up with me right now and he has been beyond supportive!

32 weeks & 6 days pregnant

31 Weeks: Still A Squash

"Baby’s energy is surging, thanks to the formation of white fat deposits beneath the skin. (Have those kicks and jabs to the ribs tipped you off yet?) Baby is also settling into sleep and waking cycles, though -- as you’ve also probably noticed -- they don’t necessarily coincide with your own. Also this month, all five senses are finally functional, and the brain and nervous system are going through major developments."

How far along? 31wks & 6 days!

Maternity clothes? Full time maternity clothes but I can still fit into a few non-maternity (stretchy) things. When I'm at home I live in the most comfy tank top ever (it is Liz Lang from Target) and shorts.

Stretch marks? No stretch marks and I'm applying Earth Mama Angel Baby Lotion in the morning and Weleda Pregnancy Body Oil at night.

Sleep? I miss sleep. I seriously think that I'll actually get more sleep once the baby is here.

Best moment this week? Getting more things crossed off our to do list!!

Movement? I still can't get over watching my stomach move - so strange and awesome!

Food cravings? I want a big giant iced coffee!!

Gender? It's a Boy!!

Labor signs? Braxton Hicks are starting...

What I miss? Sleep, cold sandwiches, caffeine, being able to bend over, not feeling tired...

What I'm looking forward to? Finishing up our never ending nursery!!!!!! (Still this)

Weekly Wisdom: A stranger recently asked me when I was due and when I replied early August she said, "Are you sure because you don't even look 5 months pregnant? You should ask your doctor." Are you kidding me? YES I'M SURE! My weekly wisdom: The ONLY acceptable thing to say to a pregnant woman is "you look great"!

Milestones: Experiencing Braxton Hicks.

Emotions: I cried while watching Dear John...I never cry during movies.

31 weeks & 6 days pregnant

Week 30: Squash

"Baby’s energy is surging, thanks to the formation of white fat deposits beneath the skin. (Have those kicks and jabs to the ribs tipped you off yet?) Baby is also settling into sleep and waking cycles, though -- as you’ve also probably noticed -- they don’t necessarily coincide with your own. Also this month, all five senses are finally functional, and the brain and nervous system are going through major developments."

How far along? 30wks & 6 days!

Maternity clothes? Full time maternity clothes but I can still fit into a few non-maternity (stretchy) things.

Stretch marks? No stretch marks and I'm applying Earth Mama Angel Baby Lotion in the morning and Weleda Pregnancy Body Oil at night.

Sleep? What's that? I'm up and awake every morning at 5am...please don't make this a habit baby.

Best moment this week? Hearing that all is well (my bp has been consistently perfect and my blood test came back normal) at my midwife appt on Thursday...bring on the home birth!

Movement? I could watch my stomach all day - it is so strange to think that my baby boy is inside of my right now!!

Food cravings? I could go for some ice cream but I'm being good.

Gender? It's a Boy!!

Labor signs? Nope.

What I miss? Sleeping on my right side (I can't lay on it for more than a minute now without it hurting).

What I'm looking forward to? Finishing up our never ending nursery!!!!!!

Weekly Wisdom: Swimming has to be the best invention ever for a pregnant lady!

Milestones: I'll be in the single digits tomorrow - 9 ish more weeks to go!

Emotions: I'm making a conscious effort to not get stressed out - it just isn't worth it.

30 weeks & 6 days pregnant

Blood Pressure

My blood pressure was still slightly elevated yesterday morning when I had it checked at the fire department (they were super nice there btw), but I was also rushing around and sleep deprived. I should mention that my blood pressure level is definitely not something that an OB would be concerned with but my midwives are overly cautious, which is one of the main reasons why I picked them. They wouldn’t chance having a home birth at the cost of my health or my baby’s health. I spent most of yesterday just completely chilling out and resting (well, resting as best as I can rest - I always need to be doing something) and my friend's husband (who is a police officer/medic) took my blood pressure last night and it was back to normal. He left one of his electronic blood pressure cuffs with me (yay for not having to go to the fire department daily) and my blood pressure was still normal this morning! Looks like I’m getting the hang of this chilling out thing. I really think that my elevated blood pressure was due to stress – I need to be completely stress free for the next 10ish weeks. The pain in my side has decreased but I can still feel my muscles stretching in that area so maybe the baby is having a growth spurt? I get my blood results on Tuesday, let’s hope that everything comes back normal.

30 weeks & 1 day pregnant

Good News & Not So Good News

Yesterday I had an appointment with my midwives and I have good news and some not so good news. Let's start with the good news, you know the glucose test that I had been stressing about for the past 7 months? Well, I passed with flying colors! My blood sugar level was at 90 and it needed to be under 130. I have been trying to stay active and eat well because I'm at risk for diabetes with my family history so it obviously paid off.

As for the not so good news, my blood pressure was slightly elevated and in the home birth world this is a red flag. At previous visits my blood pressure has been consistently perfect so this was not something I expected. I'm definitely the type of person who internalizes stress and boy have I been feeling the stress this week, this might be why my blood pressure is elevated. I typically handle stress much better (I'm a family counselor - I deal with stressful situations on a daily basis) but I think I just have too much on my plate right now and I need to learn how to just shrug off the things that I can't control instead of dwelling on them. Ready for more bad news? Lately I've been experiencing a dull aching pain in my right side. It could just be stretching or round ligament pain but my midwives wanted to play it safe and ordered blood work to test my kidney/liver levels.

I have a follow up appointment with them next Thursday and in the meantime I need to stop by our local fire department everyday to get my blood pressure taken (who knew that they offered that service) and I also need to stay away from processed foods (which I've been trying to do anyway). They encouraged me to swim for exercise now that the temps are rising and walking outside is no longer feasible. They also want me to take it easy and ordered Mr. Baby Fever to take over all of our household chores, which I will happily do. So basically I need to majorly de-stress, get more sleep, continue to eat well and get in some swimming. Wish me luck, I feel like crying at the thought of not having my home birth and I of course above all want my baby to be healthy.

30 weeks pregnant

Week 29: Squash

"Baby’s energy is surging, thanks to the formation of white fat deposits beneath the skin. (Have those kicks and jabs to the ribs tipped you off yet?) Baby is also settling into sleep and waking cycles, though -- as you’ve also probably noticed -- they don’t necessarily coincide with your own. Also this month, all five senses are finally functional, and the brain and nervous system are going through major developments."

How far along? 29wks & 6 days!

Maternity clothes? I tried on a few non-maternity outfits at Anthro last week...haha that was funny and a good way to make a pregnant lady very sad. I thought one shirt actually looked good on me but when I modeled it for DH he commented, "Are you sure that's maternity, it looks pretty tight". Gee thanks hunny!

Stretch marks? No stretch marks and I'm applying Earth Mama Angel Baby Lotion in the morning and Weleda Pregnancy Body Oil at night.

Sleep? I'm only comfortable sleeping on my left side, which isn't very comfortable to do the entire night. This baby is on a schedule already - he wakes me up most nights at midnight, 3am and 6am. Have I mentioned that I miss sleep?

Best moment this week? Our baby shower was last Saturday and it was fabulous - my parents did such a great job with everything and we got lots of great stuff!

Movement? Some days he punches me so hard that I feel like he's going to break out of my stomach.

Food cravings? Give me meat!

Gender? It's a Boy!!

Labor signs? Nope.

What I miss? SLEEP!!

What I'm looking forward to? Finishing up our never ending nursery and passing my glucose test today!!

Weekly Wisdom: I'm not feeling very wise this week.

Milestones: OMG only 10 weeks left after tomorrow!!

Emotions: Boy has this week been STRESSFUL. I'm launching a new website/blog and there has been major drama with the designer so I'm now starting from scratch with a new designer.

29 weeks & 6 days pregnant

I've always wanted an indoor pool...

I just ordered my birthing pool and I just had to laugh a little at the fact that this blow up pool will be in the middle of my living room. It seems absurd but when I compare this setting with a delivery room setting, the fishy pool wins! I’m not sure if I’ll actually be delivering in it but I definitely want to labor in it.



28 weeks & 5 days pregnant

27 Weeks: Still An Eggplant

"Let your spouse put an ear to your belly -- he might be able to pick up baby's heartbeat (no stethoscope required). Inside the womb, the formation of tiny capillaries is giving baby a healthy pink glow. Baby's also soaking up your antibodies, getting the immune system ready for life outside the womb. Eyes are forming, and baby will soon perfect the blink -- perfect for batting those freshly grown lashes."

How far along? 27wks & 6 days!

Maternity clothes? I'm in them pretty much full time now besides a few stretchy non-maternity shirts. A good friend recently had a baby boy and gave me all of her maternity clothes!

Stretch marks? No stretch marks and I'm applying Earth Mama Angel Baby Lotion in the morning and Weleda Pregnancy Body Oil at night.

Sleep? I'm only comfortable sleeping on my left side, which isn't very comfortable to do the entire night. This baby is on a schedule already - he wakes me up most nights at midnight, 3am and 6am.

Best moment this week? Reaching the 3rd trimester and celebrating my 1st Mother's Day!

Movement? Baby is still moving like crazy, my absolute FAVORITE thing about pregnancy (even if he wakes me up every 3 hours)!!

Food cravings? Pretty much everything I eat gives me heartburn. This week I have been craving beef, which is beyond strange because I haven't had beef since I was a child!!

Gender? It's a Boy!!

Labor signs? Nope.

What I miss? I miss my sleep!

What I'm looking forward to? Finishing up our nursery and PASSING my glucose test! Oh and tomorrow we're purchasing our birthing pool and the rest of our home birth supplies!

Weekly Wisdom: Grunting or sighing while bending down will gain you sympathy from your DH ;-)

Milestones: Hello 3rd trimester!!

Emotions: I'm seriously lacking in the patience department at the moment.

27 weeks & 6 days pregnant

My First Mother's Day

Image from Dear Baby

I hope all of the mothers (mothers-to-be, mothers of angel babies, mothers of 4 legged friends) out there had a wonderful Mother's Day! I know there is some debate (in forums and other places) about whether or not pregnant women are in fact mothers but my definition of a mother is someone who thinks about her child before she thinks about herself. I'm grateful to have a mother who has done just that - sacrificed and thought of my needs first. For the past 27 weeks I have tried to follow my mother's example by thinking of my growing baby boy before I even get out of bed in the morning. I think about what food he needs to grow into a healthy baby before I eat and *try* to stay away from junk. I choke down a protein shake every morning just for him (trust me, there is no amount of money in the world that would make me do this just for myself). I get in my nightly walks with Mr. Designs by Vanessa even when I feel like a 90 year old lady who needs a hip replacement (another pregnancy perk). Before he was even conceived I thought of him on a daily basis and started taking prenatals, started working out and cut out caffeine to help get my body prepared for him. So yes, I very much consider myself a mother. Every time I feel him kick or I hear his heartbeat at my midwives office, I feel like a mother.

Mr. Designs by Vanessa gave me a very sweet 1st Mother's Day Card signed from our baby. I won't embarrass him by sharing what he wrote in the card but let's just say that it was tear inducing sweet. Ok, one tiny little excerpt: That tiny kick you feel today will be our baby boy saying, "Happy Mother's Day, Mommy!" and " I love you and can't wait to meet you face-to-face and cheek-to-cheek in a few short weeks from now". Isn't my hubby nauseatingly cute?! He also got me a very thoughtful keepsake box from Willow Tree featuring a mother and a son, I can't wait to put our baby's first curl in there! He definitely made my 1st Mother's Day special and I look forward to next year when our baby is out here to celebrate with us.

I hope someone made you feel special on Mother's Day!

27 weeks & 4 days pregnant

26 Weeks: Still An Eggplant

"Let your spouse put an ear to your belly -- he might be able to pick up baby's heartbeat (no stethoscope required). Inside the womb, the formation of tiny capillaries is giving baby a healthy pink glow. Baby's also soaking up your antibodies, getting the immune system ready for life outside the womb. Eyes are forming, and baby will soon perfect the blink -- perfect for batting those freshly grown lashes."

How far along? 26wks & 6 days!

Maternity clothes? I'm in them pretty much full time now besides a few stretchy non-maternity shirts. A good friend recently had a baby boy and gave me all of her maternity clothes!

Stretch marks? No stretch marks and I'm applying anti-stretch mark cream.

Sleep? I'm only comfortable sleeping on my left side, which isn't very comfortable to do the entire night. I miss sleep...

Best moment this week? We got our first baby shower gift in the mail yesterday!!

Movement? Baby is still moving like crazy, my absolute FAVORITE thing about pregnancy!!

Food cravings? Pretty much everything I eat gives me heartburn. I haven't had soda in almost 2 years but I'm craving a big giant Dr. Pepper at the moment.

Gender? It's a Boy!!

Labor signs? Nope.

What I miss? I miss my sleep!

What I'm looking forward to? Finishing up our nursery and PASSING my glucose test! And reaching the 3rd trimester tomorrow!!

Weekly Wisdom: If you are experiencing back pain, I highly recommend finding a good chiropractor who specializes in pregnancy adjustments...my chiro has been a life saver!

Milestones: OMG I'm in my 3rd trimester tomorrow!!!

Emotions: I've been pretty "normal" for the most part this week. Still pretty normal!

26 weeks & 6 days pregnant

Cesareans and Episiotomies and Epidurals, Oh My!

This is what we learned about in our 5th Bradley Class this week. I hope I'll never have to experience any of these wonderful things but at least I'll be able to make an informed decision if they become necessary. Mr. Baby Fever skipped out on the last 30 minutes of class because he had to take care of a work situation so he missed the cesarean video but lucky for him, the instructor let us take it home so he can watch it later.

I have a "friend" who actually asked me if I was planning on scheduling a cesarean when I told her that I was pregnant. I completely understand that there are situations when a cesarean is necessary but to actually plan on one without there being a medical need is crazy and irresponsible in my opinion. I informed my friend that I was planning on a vaginal birth and she responded, "yeah I would never do that". Wow I really hope she does her research before she decides to have children!

From Mothering Magazine:
1. A woman is five to seven times more likely to die from a cesarean delivery than from a vaginal delivery.
2. A woman having a repeat C-section is twice as likely to die during delivery.
3. Twice as many women require rehospitalization after a C-section than after a vaginal birth.
4. Having a C-section means higher rates of infertility, ectopic pregnancy, and potentially severe placental problems in future pregnancies.
5. Babies born after an elective cesarean delivery (i.e., when labor has not yet begun) are four times more likely to develop persistent pulmonary hypertension, a potentially life-threatening condition.
6. Between one and two babies of every hundred delivered by C-section will be accidentally cut during the surgery.
7. The US is tied for second-to-last place with Hungary, Malta, Poland, and Slovakia for neonatal mortality in the industrialized world.4
8. Babies born via C-section are at high risk for not receiving the benefits of breastfeeding.
9. The risk of death to a newborn delivered by C-section to a low-risk woman is 1.77 deaths to 1,000 live births. The risk of death to a newborn delivered vaginally to a low-risk woman is only 0.62 per 1,000 live births.

The extremely high rate of C-sections in the U.S. (32.3%) is outrageous and unnecessary. When we were exploring our options and went to a few hospital tours, we were shocked to find out that these hospitals C-section rates were actually above the already high national average?! Maybe it's because they push pitocin on their patients (yes, a nurse actually told me that I would at the very least be given pitocin and therefore be confined to my bed during labor), which often leads to an epidural. An epidural will then slow down labor and the more likely it will end in a forceps, vacuum, or cesarean delivery. Why is this standard care in the U.S.?

On a more positive note, I had a check up with my midwives on Monday and everything is looking great! They received my chart from my previous OB and said that I have a "text book pregnancy" - sounds good to me! The baby's heart beat was the strongest we've ever heard it, such an amazing sound! I'm continuing to watch my diet and exercise on a daily basis so I'm right where I need to be as far as weight gain and belly growth goes. The dreaded gestational diabetes test has been scheduled for my next appointment at the end of the month. They offered me a choice between the nasty orange sugar drink or jelly beans for the test - I of course picked jelly beans! I might not mind this test so much after all. The "D-word" has been at the forefront of my mind this entire pregnancy, I don't want to put myself or my baby at risk for diabetes later in life and I definitely don't want anything to jeopardize my chance for a home birth. I'm ready to get this test over with!

26 Weeks & 4 Days Pregnant

Epidurals

Let's start with the positive stuff first, my good friend just had her baby 3 days ago and I got to meet him today! I could have seriously held him all day, he's so tiny and precious! Holding him got me really excited for my own little guy's arrival. This is my friend's 2nd and last baby so she gave me all of her maternity clothes! I think she's just ready to be done with elastic waistbands. I'm super excited for new clothes...well, new for me!!

My friend's mom was telling my friend to advise me on how to have an easy birth - my friend apparently felt nothing and dialated super fast with petocin and an epidural. My friend told her mother that I was planning on a natural birth and of course I got the strange look and she said, "oh sweetie, you'll see how it is once you get to the hospital for delivery". She then proceeded to tell me about how her daughter in law hoped for a natural birth and asked for an epidural right when she arrived at the hospital. Gee thanks for the pep talk! I politely informed her that my mother had a natural birth after 2 days of labor and that if she can do it, so can I. Her response was, "oh really?", like she didn't believe me haha!

Why do people try and discourage me from attempting a natural birth?! This drives me crazy!! It's not like I'm sitting there talking crap about petocin and epidurals. I'm not sitting there preaching about the many risks of an epidural, so why do they feel the need to preach the "benefits"?! This is MY decision, NOT yours. Now I know why I'm not telling anyone outside of my immediate family that we're planning a home birth...

26 Weeks & 1 Day Pregnant

Slow Down

This pregnancy is going by too fast. As much as I can't wait until the arrival of our baby boy, I also want to slow down time and really take in and remember this moment in my life. I kept a journal throughout my struggles with conceiving and when I look back at my thoughts and disappointments from just a year ago, it already feels like a lifetime away. I don't want to take that time for granted because I think it taught me a lot about myself and about the strength of my marriage. As much as I complain about nausea, heartburn, leg cramps, bloody noses (pregnancy sure is glamorous), I don't want to wish those things away because they are all signs that there is a healthy baby finally growing in my belly! I'm not sure why I'm feeling so sentimental today, maybe because our nursery furniture has arrived and things are finally starting to feel "real". We're having a baby and it is finally sinking in lol!!

Modern Baby Clock by Decoylab

26 Weeks Pregnant

Week 25: Eggplant

"Let your spouse put an ear to your belly -- he might be able to pick up baby's heartbeat (no stethoscope required). Inside the womb, the formation of tiny capillaries is giving baby a healthy pink glow. Baby's also soaking up your antibodies, getting the immune system ready for life outside the womb. Eyes are forming, and baby will soon perfect the blink -- perfect for batting those freshly grown lashes."

How far along? 25wks & 6 days!

Maternity clothes? I'm in them pretty much full time now besides a few stretchy non-maternity shirts.

Stretch marks? No stretch marks and I'm applying anti-stretch mark cream.

Sleep? I'm only comfortable sleeping on my left side, which isn't very comfortable to do the entire night. Oh and I got a taste of what sleep deprivation feels like after being kicked awake at 3am for the past few nights and not being able to fall back to sleep. Today baby let me sleep in until 5am, how thoughtful!

Best moment this week? Reaching double digits...only 99ish more days to go!! Oh and I'm sitting here waiting for our furniture to arrive, very exciting!

Movement? Baby is still moving like crazy, my absolute FAVORITE thing about pregnancy!!

Food cravings? Pretty much everything I eat gives me heartburn. Still craving a COLD sandwich!

Gender? It's a Boy!!

Labor signs? Nope.

What I miss? I miss not having heartburn after every meal.

What I'm looking forward to? Finishing up our nursery and PASSING my glucose test!

Weekly Wisdom: Every pregnancy is unique and every woman's body is unique, thanks.

Milestones: Double digits...only 99ish more days to go!!

Emotions: I've been pretty "normal" for the most part this week.

25 weeks & 6 days pregnant

Bradley Method Class - Week 4

Tonight is our 4th Bradley Method class and while our instructor is still incredibly annoying, we're still getting a lot out of it. Week 2 we learned about how Mr. Baby Fever can better support me and his role during pregnancy, labor and delivery. We watched a fairly disturbing birth video and to my surprise Mr. Baby Fever didn't pass out, I was the one fidgeting and ready to pass out lol! I think our instructor was appalled when I told her that I didn’t want to see my baby coming out of my vagina during delivery through a mirror. I think that birth is incredible/amazing/beautiful but I personally don’t want to see it. I might change my mind while I’m in the moment but right now I’m quite ok with my belly blocking my view! Week 3 was by far the most informative class yet, we learned about the different stages and signs of labor. Mr. Baby Fever also learned how to count my contractions and we talked quite a bit about the affects of pitocin/epidurals. We end each class with a different relaxation technique that we could potentially use during labor…this is my favorite part of class! I’m actually looking forward to class tonight, despite our instructor going on and on and on and on about herself…

25 weeks & 3 days pregnant