I spy a BUMP!
I am trying really hard not to get too ahead of myself, but the entire pregnancy journey has been a whole lot of “I can’t wait for this… okay, now I can’t wait for that.†First it was, “I can’t wait to get a Big Fat Positive.†Then, it was to hear the heartbeat. Then, to see the baby on the ultrasound. Since Week 8, I’ve been asking the Husband, “Do you think I’m showing?†but he always said “No, not yet!†And then, this week, Kristien said to me (totally unprompted), “You know, I think you have a little bump,†and I almost died. I know that the bump is small and still doesn’t scream BABY, but it’s still exciting to have someone else in my life acknowledge the change.
So, here’s what’s going on with BabyHTP this week, according to BabyCenter, “Your baby is now the size of a lemon. Your adorable little fetus is busy with thumb sucking, toe wiggling, (not so cute but equally amazing) making urine, and breathing amniotic fluid as the liver, kidneys, and spleen continue to develop. Lanugo (thin, downy hair) is growing all over her body for warmth.â€
We are friends with a couple in Charlotte who found out they were pregnant just a week after we did, and our due dates are only two days apart. We’ve all decided to read the book Birthing From Within and start a small discussion group.
Birthing from Within helps you prepare for birth and parenthood through spiritual/emotional introspective and creative exercises, like writing and drawing (if this sounds super hippie, that’s because it is super hippie). The basic premises is that every woman has a question she must answer before she can give birth – not a question that can be answered by a doctor, but a question that can only be answered by her heart (“Am I strong enough to give birth?†was one example). Birthing from Within helps you figure out ‘your’ question and answer so you can give birth without fear. The book helps a mother handle pain through natural pain management techniques, regardless of the interventions she has during delivery. Other topics addressed: the father’s role, baby-proofing your marriage, newborn care, etc.
Our plan is to read a few chapters (they are very short) every week or so, do the exercises at home with our spouse, and then meet as a group of four to discuss. Our friends are very philosophical and intelligent, so I’m really looking forward to hearing their insights.
The first exercise was on writing your birth legacy. For 10 minutes, the Husband and I sat and wrote down everything we could think that we ‘knew’ about birth… birth stories, old wives’ tales, feelings and images, fears and concerns, beliefs. Then, we read them aloud to each other and helped the other person find themes. One big theme for both of us was that we expect childbirth to be an emotionally transformative moment and are a little scared that we’ll look at our new baby and not feel crazy, instant attachment like everyone says we should. I was very surprised that we both felt like this because I had never acknowledged this fear, even in my own headspace (is this normal?)! I’m excited to hear our friends’ thoughts, too, and get their feedback on our birth legacies.
In other news… a few weeks ago, I started to blog for the parenting website Babble.com. I post every day of the week! If you would like to hear more of my pregnancy rambling, come over to Babble.com’s Being Pregnant. So far, I’ve written about things like…
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And more!
Here’s Week 14, in a nutshell:
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Total weight gained: Had an official weigh-in at the gym and have gained four pounds total – right on track.
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Workouts: Three! Go me! I walk/ran 20 minutes and did 10 minutes on the elliptical, ran a 5K race, and swam 1,000 meters.
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Cravings: Cheese on toast, smoothies, Angry Birds.
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Aversions: Still none. It takes a lot to wreck my appetite.
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New Habit: Sleeping with a sports bra on. It helps boob growth pain so much (HTP readers recommended this and I cannot thank you all enough!).
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Doctor Status: After much hemming and hawing, I selected a new doctor who is rumored to be more supportive of natural births. My first appointment isn’t until after the New Year, but I’m hopeful that this is the one for me!
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Baby Items Purchased: Baby shopping hiatus because of Christmas gifts.
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Goal for Next Week: Get to bed before midnight!
I seee a bump too! BabyHTP is makin’ some moves 😉