I love doing these weekly updates. It makes it feel like time is moving very quickly. Heh.
(I promise that wear shirts beyond tanks but I think it’s good for comparison’s sake to repeat outfits.)
I feel like something definitely happened this week. I’m up three pounds, none of my pants have a hope in hell of buttoning (more on that later), and I can tell a slight difference in the pictures. Wahoo! Here’s what BabyHTP is up to this week: “Your baby is now the size of a small lime [last week it was a strawberry]. The baby has distinct human characteristics by now, with hands and feet in front of her body, with ears nearly in their final shape, open nasal passages on the tip of her tiny nose, a tongue and palate in the mouth, and visible nipples. The placenta has also began to form.†(Source)
The most exciting baby-related thing that happened this week was touring CMC Pineville’s Maternity Center. It’s really important to me to investigate my birthing options and check out various birth centers and hospitals.
Like many people, I’m wary of the idea of being in the hospital (i.e. who wants to be there?)… but probably even more so because of my family’s holistic, natural medicine mindset. But I’d heard really great things about CMC Pineville – that they don’t push drugs on you, they encourage natural births, and their c-section rate is the lowest in the area.
During the tour, I was pleasantly surprised to learn they had whirlpool tubs available for moms to labor in (although you can’t deliver in them), they allow you to get up and walk the hallways (provided you haven’t been induced or are on drugs and need to be monitored), and they allow you to take your placenta home (we will have it encapsulated in pill form – here’s why). They also believe in skin-to-skin contact and allow the baby to lay on your chest for an hour before they do any exams. And – I’ll admit – as a first-time mom, it was very nice to see all the high-tech equipment, just in case something goes terribly, terribly wrong. Also, the maternity ward is BEAUTIFUL. Brand new, private rooms with TVs, refrigerators, nice big tubs and showers, and pull-down Murphy beds for the partners.
The only downsides to the hospital? It’s 20 minutes away without traffic (up to an hour with) and the earliest they let you leave is 24 hours after delivery.
So – lesson learned. Don’t judge a book by it’s cover. I can admit when I’m wrong – and just because it’s a hospital doesn’t mean they won’t help you have an all-natural birthing experience if that’s what you want (and can medically receive). I really want to work hard through this pregnancy not to let my personal biases get in the way of making balanced decisions. And one of the things we MUST consider is finances. Although we have health and maternity insurance, our deductible is high. If we delivered at the all-natural birthing center (which is not covered anyway), we would have to pay $4,500 out of pocket… and 25% of new moms have to be transferred to the hospital, where I would be responsible for several thousand more on top of the birthing center fee. Since I have a 1/4 chance of ending up in the hospital anyway, I think it makes the most financial sense just to start there. Now that we’ve found a hospital that we like and are comfortable with, we just need to find a new OB-GYN that delivers at that hospital! Whew.
(Husband giving acupressure to Jen last night at the hospital.)
Here’s Week 11 in a nutshell!
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Total weight gained: 3.5 pounds.
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Current food craving: BBQ chips. Frozen yogurt. Chips and salsa. Raspberries. I ate an entire carton of raspberries in one sitting the other day – I would’ve eaten two if we had more.
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Workouts: FOUR! I am so proud of myself. The Pregnancy Training Plan has been a total lifesaver and SO motivational. I did a 5K, a 750 yard swim, a 1000 meter swim, and a 2.0 mile walk.
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Pregnancy Books Read: None. Dropped the ball on my readings.
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Food Aversions: Zero… feed me anything and everything.
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Hormone-Induced Titty Tantrums: One small meltdown because I was tired and cranky.
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Baby Items Purchased: Since my pants no longer button, I invested in some BeBands. Basically, they hold your pants up and flatten the gaping fly so you can wear your normal pants longer. LIFESAVER. Will probably continue to wear these for the rest of time.
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Number of Weird Dreams: Approximately 32. Every night, I have the craziest, craziest dreams. Multiple nutty dreams every night that are so complex and realistic. I hear this is a side effect of the hormones.
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Acupuncture Treatments: Two. It really helps with feelings of nausea.
Countdown to the second trimester: 2 weeks to go!
I feel like it would be fun to have pregnancy cravings!