20 Weeks-Pediatricians, Doulas, and Classes!

We are just plowing through the pre-baby check list.

Last week I found a pediatrician near to our house and day care.  I know a couple of people at work that use him and have great things  to say, so I called the office.  Apparently all I had to do was list him as my pediatrician on the hospital paperwork and they would take care of visiting me in the hospital.  After that, we'd set up the first newborn appointment. CHECK!

I have also been hard at work searching for classes to take at our hospital and nearby birth center to prepare me for my medical intervention- free birth plan. I signed us up for two at the birth center (breastfeeding and Natural Childbirth in a Hospital setting), and I signed us up for infant CPR and a tour at our hospital.  I think all classes will be informative and help me to mentally prepare myself for natural birth.  I have researched doulas, and one is coming to my house tonight for an interview.   If I'm going to do the natural childbirth thing, I have to mentally prepare and then jump in with both feet.  There is no room for being wishy washy in this situation; I have to fully commit.  It's something I strongly believe in and will be very distraught if it does not come to fruition.  I just finished "Ina May's Guide to Natural Childbirth" by Ina May Gaskin and it completely changed my life and thoughts towards birth.  Now I'm reading about the Bradley Method of childbirth and am sure that will further solidify my decision to go natural.  If my own mother can do it (twice!) I certainly can take a stab at it.

Then, I fully intend to brag.

 

20 weeks!

19 weeks and Childcare decisions!

My little pumpkin is about 9 oz and 7 inches long this week!  Last Friday we had our Level 2 ultrasound at the hospital where we will give birth, and we were very impressed with the facility and the people.  I am so glad I switched doctors to deliver at this hopsital instead of the one affiliated with my old doctor.   We were seen promptly at 9:30am and it lasted about two hours.  We met with the genetic counselor first and reviewed everything we already learned this time last year about my inversion.  Then, it was time for the show!  That little man was rockin and rollin in there- moving around, doing the worm, throwing his hands in the air!   He is quite animated and when I can really feel movement, I have a feeling I'm in for it!   Everything looked great and the doctors said they had no concerns about anything.  He measured 18w4d which is exactly on target with his due date and all the organs and appendages were accounted for!  I do have to go back each month for one of these ultrasounds just in case, and in a few months I have to have a fetal ecocardiogram because I was an IVF patient and there is a slightly increased risks of heart issues when you have gone through IVF (apparently).    But all that means to me is that I get more pictures for the baby book and more chances to confirm that he is still alive.

Big man just hanging out!

It really IS a boy...confirmation! 

One of his little hands waving to us! 

3D Ultrasound- hands in front of his face

We have also been hard at the childcare search.  I thought about in home child care but then realized I didn't want a stranger in my house with my baby all alone all day.  Just an instinctual thing I guess.  Engaging my parents (who live 5 minutes away) to do it seems to be unfair, as they have already raised their children and  that is quite a time committement on their part.  They are both retired, but I just don't think that it is right to expect them to spend > 10 hours per day with the baby when they have lives too.  They like to travel and do their own thing, so that option was out.  We decided that regular day care would work best for our schedules, especially with our work situations. 

Once we decided on that option, I researched the three top rated chain daycares in our area.  They are all within 5 minutes of our house and had great websites and even noted questions to ask when comparing child care options.  There was one that was a "no way", one that was "eh, if we had to" and one that was "absolutely, yes!!!".  Luckily, there was very little price difference between the three, so it really just came down to how the school "felt" to us.  The one we went with left a lasting impression on us.  I really think that I would be ok leaving him there with the care and attention I believe he will recieve.  For infants, it's really based around your schedule that you have set for them- their nap times, feeding times, and play times.  No crib sharing and toys are sanitized after each child is finished playing with them.  The max number of infants (up to 12 mos) they would have are 8 at one time, and the ratio is 4 children to 1 teacher.   The place is bright and welcoming, and had a definite CLEAN feeling.  I was very pleased with the education and credentials of all of the teachers and staff, as well as the look of the clientele.  It will be well worth it and when he gets older, their toddler and pre school programs seem equally impressive.  For me, it was really just about being able to leave him.  I know I'm going to be a wreck, I know that even now.  So I wanted a place where I knew that he was going to be happy, even if I was a mess.  I think we will definitely get that here and today I called to finalize the paperwork and set a deposit down to secure a spot for him in mid to late September. 

This past Saturday, we also ordered all of his nursery furniture from Baby Supermart- the Legendary collection.  Convertible crib, 5 drawer chest, double dresser and hutch- still holding off on the glider until we figure out if we can fit everything. 

Next up- pediatrician  and birth class research! I'm on a roll!!  Gettin sh*t done! 

18 weeks- stop me from online shopping, please...

Getting bigger...not only the belly...but the boobs too...34DD up to 34E and still going.  This is just the tip of the iceberg.  I wouldn't be surprised if I'm an F or more by the time this is all over. 

 

Movement is fairly regular - I feel a little something almost every day now.  At least, I think it's a little something and not gas or hunger gurgles. I don't have any specific cravings, but I do like to eat the same foods every day- yogurt, fruit (apples, watermelon, cantaloupe, etc), cereal with milk (still), OJ, and crazily enough, tuna w/ mayo.  I think in the first trimester the thought of tuna made me want to throw up, and now I can't get enough.  I have to stop myself because I'm watching the mercury.

Doctor appointment last week went well, heard the heartbeat and was told my fundal height was measuring 22 weeks instead of 18 weeks...awesome!  I was in such a good mood and feeling so good about this pregnancy that I ordered a lamp and area rug from PBK for the nursery.  They came yesterday and the rug looks GREAT- so snuggly and soft!!

Got the middle lamp with espresso base.  Lambies!

 yummy and soft shag rug from PBK

I am obsessed with neutral nurseries.  This is my bedding.  I registered for it and dream about wrapping my little snuggle muffin in it and cuddling him to death.

I am having way too much fun one Babies r Us website....

17 weeks- sweaty mama

This week: baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — the lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Baby 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and is around 5 inches long from head to bottom. He can move his joints, and his sweat glands are starting to develop.

As for me, my sweat glands are slightly over-developed..lol.  I jest.  I have just been having horrible upper back pain, and the other night I had a headache and back/neck ache so badly I thought I had meningitis or something.  I woke up in a pure anxiety attack and thought I was going to have to have M take me to the hospital.  I have never been in so much pain and been so scared in my life.  It subsided and I went to sleep (after much calming from M), thank goodness.  The back pain still comes and goes, and I think mostly it is stress and my enlarged chest.  I felt him move more this week, more of the same rollercoaster feelings that come and go throughout the day.  I also heard his heartbeat last Saturday and will hopefully hear it again this Thursday at my gyno appointment. I plan on asking more about my test results from last time and hopefully everything comes back as it should.

This spring will be so busy, between Anna & Vera getting married and my baby shower....Anna's shower is Mar 31, Vera's shower is sometime in April and my mom decided in April 28 for our side's shower, and M's mom is throwing me one in May for her side.  Busy busy but very exciting! Over the holiday weekend M finished the nursery floors and I got a huge start on my baby registry.  Next big things to do are day care and pediatrician research!  We are moving right along, preparing for my little prince's arrival.  I love him so much already and I can't wait to get to know him better....

16 weeks- Happy New Year

We hosted New Year's Eve at our house again this year (as we have done for the past 5 years) and this is the first time in a long time that I didn't make it to midnight!  Of course, I knew that beforehand so we were able to compromise and scale down the party to immediate family only this year (usually I would have had about 30 people and it was a lot of work).  I'm sure the landscape of our parties will continue to evolve over the next few years, but some of us are having a difficult time accepting that fact and are resistant to change.

I heard my man again yesterday, and it's getting easier to find him with the Doppler.  The heartbeat is very loud and was around 155-160bpm.  Right now, he's about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. He's even started growing toenails. His heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day.  He is working hard in there! Just knowing he is still alive makes me sleep easy at night.

I haven't had any weird issues the past couple of weeks (knock on wood!). My tiredness continues to subside - I am able to stay up until 10PM some nights if I'm able to sleep in until 8AM, which is a feat for me!  I reluctantly complain because I am so so lucky to be here and hate to tempt fate. But, my biggest "complaint"right now is that I feel ugly. I don't look like myself, like my actual facial features are changing. I can't pinpoint it exactly, but I look at pictures of myself from last year or a few years ago, and it's like, where is that girl?  My skin is like a teenager, my hair seems to be changing its texture and I can't style it like I used to, and my weight is upsetting to me.  I know I'm supposed to be gaining weight, and think that I am eating normally (not over indulging).  But, I gained about 10 lbs in 14 weeks.  That is astounding to me, especially because I didn't think I was doing anything different.  I am VERY aware that I am not supposed to be "eating for two", but only getting an extra 300 or so calories a day.  I obviously am not doing a good job if I gained 10 lbs.  Who knows where it will go from this point on, but I am so hungry all the time! I wake up most nights at 4am and can't sleep because of the hunger so I have to go downstairs and get some crackers. I guess I have to follow my body cues and if I'm hungry, I have no choice but to eat.  I can't deprive him of what he needs, maybe make better choices at night and eat a little closer to bed time?

Enough of my pity party, I am fortunate to only have those problems!  I know I have many weeks to go but I think I've been lucky so far with actual pregnancy symptoms. My favorite foods right now are cereal and soymilk, cantaloupe & watermelon, bananas, apples, and chocolate.  Staying away from meat, refined foods, artificial sweeteners, coffee (never was a big drinker anyway) and dairy.  I really need to do to a better job with fresh veggies but I want to gag when I see them.  Maybe dipping them in hummus will help. I also need to hop on the treadmill; I haven't worked out for almost 5 months because I was on restriction from IVF, then having so many spotting/bleeding problems that I didn't want to aggravate the issue. Maybe being this far along it will do me some good, except I can't shake my obsession with incompetent cervix.