Birth Boot Camp: Class 6

Class 6 – Supporting Arms: Mom’s Most Important Ally Supporting Arms: noun – weapons systems employed to support forces. Dad is mom’s most important ally. By Week 6, Birth Boot Camp has given you both a good foundation. You have been working together week by week. In Supporting Arms, Dad will learn very practical ways to help Mom during labor. This is his most important class! Moms will also learn some very effective – and unique — techniques in coping with the challenges of labor. Anyone who is part of your birth team is encouraged to sit in on this class as well.
We actually skipped this class and had to make it up online. This was the last week of school and Bobby and I were both exhausted and frustrated, it was just a rough day. So we decided to spend some time together instead of going to the class.

This is a class for Dads to help them be as supportive as possible.

The Top 10 Tools for Dad:

1. Remind her to eat/drink water
2. Observe her muscles, is she relaxing or tensing up
3. Pay attention to her "rhythm"
4. Does she sound 11 months or 7 months pregnant
5. Help her keep her "sound" low
6. Get her in the water
7. Keep it interesting: different positions, movement
8. Baby steps
9. Talk her through contractions if needed
10. Be aware of the laboring environment

Laboring Positions and Their Benefits this link has good information about laboring positions.

Notes from our instructor: 

Class six covers some of the helpful things mom and her birth team can do in order to have a more joyous labor and birth. Silly though it may seem, birth affirmations are a wonderful and confidence building drill you can do to prepare for a terrific birth!

This is a list of 12 affirmations to help prepare for a great birth.

This link has 10 ways to think positively about your natural birth.

One of the partner’s most important roles is preserving the space around mom so that she feels safe and able to labor.  This brief article talks about how to do that.

 Relaxation Exercise: The Beach

Incorporating all the senses in your relaxation exercises will make them that much more enjoyable. The imagery of the waves is comforting to many laboring women as they often compare contractions to riding a wave. While the beach is a warm and peaceful place to many couples, feel free to get creative with your relaxation exercises. Make it your own. You might enjoy talking about hiking in the cool, crisp mountains or sitting around a crackling, warm, glowing campfire.

10 Questions to Ask When You Are Interviewing a Doula
1. Why did you become a doula?
2. What training or certification do you have?
3. What backup arrangements do you have in place in the event that you could not attend my birth?
4. How long have your been a doula and about how many births have you attended?
5. Discuss the type of birth you are planning then ask the doula if she has experience in helping couples achieve this goal.
6. How often will we be in touch during my pregnancy?
7. How many times do you recommend that we meet prenatally?
8. Have you previously worked with my hospital or care provider?
9. How do you involve my partner in the birth experience?
10. Do you have training in lactation and will you assist in breastfeeding?

34 Weeks Pregnant and Midwife Appointment!

I was 34 weeks pregnant on June 15th.

According to thebump.com she is the size of a butternut squash.

The Baby

She reacts to simple songs, she loves music and can be guaranteed to move if she hears it. 

She is also urinating about a pint a day. 

She is around 18 in long and weighs around 5 lbs. 

She is very strong, the other night I was laying on my left side on the couch and Bobby had is hand on her because she was wiggling a little bit and all of sudden she kicked me so hard I'm surprised I didn't cry, then she did it again. Bobby could even tell that she kicked really hard, We were both very surprised. 

The Mama

My ankles and feet are still normally swollen by the end of the day, but my blood pressure has been great so still no worries there. 

The chiropractor has really helped my lower back and pelvis so I rarely have pain which is awesome.

She moved her position the other day and all of a sudden got very heavy to the point where it hurt my abdomen to stand unless I was literally holding her up with my hands. It was very uncomfortable, but luckily she moved again and it no longer feels like the baby bump is going to fall off. 

As I said above she has gotten really strong and wiggles almost constantly. Fortunately, she hasn't kicked me that hard again. 

I finally got all the baby stuff we currently have organized and her nursery is almost done. We still have to put up the crib and do a few other things, but hoping to be able to reveal it in a few weeks.

Bobby and I got our Tdap vaccine this week. It is currently on day 3 since we got it and our arms are still sore and mine is still red at the injection point, fun stuff.

I am going to stir crazy at the house by myself all the time, even though I get out at least once a day for chiropractor or midwife appointments. My sister is coming next week to help shop for the rest of the stuff we need for the nursery and baby so I'm looking forward to that.

Bobby and I are also going on a short weekend baby-moon next weekend to Lake Whitney, and I'm pretty excited about that. My cousin lent me some books of one of my favorite authors, Dee Henderson, and I am hoping to get through a couple of those while Bobby fishes. Which makes me think I should get a big sun hat for Target instead of just using my baseball cap.

The Midwife Appointment

The appointment went well, I didn't gain any weight since my last appointment so I have still only gained 28 lbs total. My blood pressure was really high at the beginning again, but when they took it at the end if was perfect. She is measuring right on track and her heart beat was good, in the high 140s/low 150s. My next appointment is July 1st, at 36 weeks. We will go over the birth plan, I will get tested for GBS and we will talk about delivery and such. It is getting so close, can't wait to meet our little girl.

33 Weeks Pregnant!

I was 33 weeks pregnant on June 8th.

According to thebump.com the Traffic Cone is the size of a Durian.

The Baby

She keeps her eyes open while she is awake so she can see light if it is during the day and bright enough.

She can coordinate breathing with sucking and swallowing.

Her bones are hardening and she is going through more major brain development. 

She is around 18 in long and 4.5 lbs.

She still moves all the time, especially when I lay on my right side.

The Mama

I get really hot very fast and it will last forever. At the chiropractor they have me do several exercises such as squats and some other stretches. Yesterday, when I was there, I was sweating in seconds and it took me forever to cool back down. The Texas heat does not bode well for a pregnant woman in the summer. 

I still don't breath very well since she is high, I can't wait for her to drop. Every time someone asks me when I'm due and I say July 27th, they say really, you look so much bigger to have that far to go. I am measuring right on track and that drives me crazy. 

On Monday after my chiropractor appointment I felt really sick, I don't know if it was the adjustment or the over heating or all the braxton hicks contractions but it took me several hours to get over whatever was wrong and that was not fun. 

This is the first week that school is out and I have yet to get anything done on my to do list. I find myself just enjoying sleeping in and staying in my pajamas these first few days.

We had my big family and friends baby shower this weekend which will be a post all on its own once I get the pictures from my sister-in-law, Emily.

I got to go swimming for the first time this summer and it was amazing on my back and just getting to float. Bobby and I are planning a short weekend babymoon to Lake Whitney in a couple weeks and I am pretty excited about that. I will be almost 36 weeks pregnant though so I'm worried about the heat getting to me, shorts tank tops and swimming is what I see in my future for that weekend, and naps in the air conditioning. 

Birth Boot Camp: Class 5

Class 5 is all about the stages of birth.

Deployment: transitive verb – to place in formation or appropriate positions, to arrange for a deliberate purpose, to move. Baby has decided to move out! Knowing what to expect takes the fear out of labor – for moms and their partners! Learn about the different phases of labor and what you can most likely expect to physically take place.

We learned that there are three stages of labor and delivery.

1st Stage: Pre-labor 

1st Stage: Early Labor

1st Stage: Active Labor

1st Stage: Transition

2nd Stage: Pushing Phase

3rd Stage: Delivery of the Placenta

Notes from our insturctor:

"The First Stage of Labor is the time when the uterus is contracting in order to open the cervix and let the baby descend. The basic mechanics of birth are virtually the same for all women. How everything plays out, in terms of duration, sensation, pain, time of onset of labor and virtually everything else varies greatly.

For this reason, part of class five is reading birth stories. You can find a link with over 100 birth stories here. Though the majority are positive, notice how very differently the women labor. Also notice the different choices they make from birth place to birth attendant, to natural birth or narcotic pain relief.

No matter how much we try to map and explain and predict labor, it simply can’t be done. Enjoy the beauty in the individual labor that you and your baby are given. Try to read a few birth stories a day to help prepare your mind for what happens in labor.

This link has a video showing what happens internally when the mother and baby labor together.

Relaxation Exercise: Flower Visualization

In “Deployment: Baby on the Move,” you learned about the process of labor. The image of a flower opening is very effective for a laboring woman. Focus on your breathing as you practice relaxation. The breath should come from deep in your abdomen. Women tend to be shallow, or chest, breathers. Breathing from your abdomen will influence how easily and effectively you are able to relax. Become aware of your breath this week, even in your daily activities.

Recipes that incorporate leafy green vegetables:

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/ingredient/green_vegetables/

Breathing and relaxation exercises/Mindfulness Exercises:

http://www.giftedguru.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Every-Mindfulness-Exercise-I-Know.pdf"

32 Weeks Pregnant and Midwife Appointment!

I was 32 weeks pregnant on June 1st.

According to thebump.com, the Traffic cone is size of a squash.

The Baby

She is getting ready for her arrival and is likely head-down. 

She is probably feeling cramped, (I know she is, I can't believe we have 8 more weeks.) 

She is around 16.7 in long and weighs around 3.8 lbs. She moves a ton, but has mellowed out from last week which is a nice break for me as she is long and strong. 

The Mama

As for me I am exhausted 99% of the time. This week is the last week of school and I cannot wait to be able to sleep in next week. Field day was on June 3rd and that was exhausting, and took me several days to recover from, even though it was a blast.  

The chiropractor visits have been helping a lot, so now the only pain I have is soreness from my tailbone injury in April of 2014. I am noticing round ligament stretching, but it isn't to painful yet. 

I have shortness of breath very easily, just doing household chores have me breathing hard. I can't wait for her to drop so I can breath again. When I sleep or I am at home I have to support her somehow as she is just so big. At night, when I roll over I can feel her fall to that side. 

I still don't get heartburn all that often, but I do get headaches more often. 

My goals for next week since we will be out of school are to get the office organized and get a dresser for the nursery so I can start to get that in some type of order. 

I'm still checking my blood pressure.

6/2           113/82          AM - Normal
6/3           129/80          AM - Normal
6/3           118/80          AM - Normal
6/4           120/76          AM - Normal

We found out on the 4th that Bobby's company is going to be switching from Blue Cross Blue Shield to Cigna, fortunately his company is great and everything we have paid towards our deductible will be transferred over. Also, luckily, Cigna will still cover the midwives and birth center along with my chiropractor. 

The Midwife Appointment

I went into this appointment worried about my blood pressure, which of course made it elevated. I then sat there for 45 minutes after my appointment time before I went back which made me very frustrated and elevated it even more. Needless to say it was really high when she took it. Luckily, I had my sheet from the last few weeks of me tracking it and the midwife was not worried. She said we would take the blood pressure again at the end of the appointment. 

So we continued with the appointment, the babies heart rate was good and in the 150s and she is head down. I had am measuring right at 32 weeks. She did all this while I was laying down so she decided to take my blood pressure while I was laying down as well. It was 108/76 compared to the beginning when it was 145/95, which is really high, although I was very frustrated at that point. 

31 Weeks Pregnant

I was 31 weeks pregnant on May 25th. 

According to thebump.com, the Traffic Cone is the size of a pineapple. 

The Baby

She is between 15.2 and 16.7 in long and around 2.5 - 3.8 lbs. 

She is still going through some major brain and nerve development. 

Her eyes are now reactive to light and all five of her senses are working, except she doesn't use the sense of smell yet, since she has no air. 

She moves all the time, especially if I lay on my right side. She has gotten very strong, sometimes her movements actually cause me some pain. Besides laying on my right side, and music, she also enjoys sugar. I don't eat a lot of sugar, but last night we had chocolate chip cookies and ice cream and she went crazy. 

The Mama

As far as my pregnancy symptoms go, it does not take much to get me out of breath, and I have to go to the bathroom at least every hour if not several times an hour which can get pretty annoying.

My back still aches pretty constantly but the chiropractor has really helped with that. I am going twice a week for the next few weeks as my pelvis is so mis-aligned it could really mess with a vaginal delivery. 

I do have trouble sleeping, but not from pain anymore, just from the constant need to get up in the middle of the night and use the bathroom and then I can't go back to sleep. 

As I mentioned above, she moves all the time, I love it! Although, it is painful sometimes it is really cool to feel. Bobby loves to feel her a well and talks to her all the time. I've noticed that she has gotten a lot stronger in just the past couple of days. It does tend to keep me up at night, and my ribs and parts of my abdomen are pretty sore. I've noticed once I get into a position it is really hard to move to another.

Our doula had a labor class this past weekend that we attended and while most of it was a good review of our Birth Boot Camp Class, I learned that in the 3rd trimester you are not supposed to sit in a reclined position because it can cause the baby's head to line up the wrong way and make delivery harder. So, our lovely new recliner couches that we have had about week I can't recline in them until after she gets here, that is kind of downer, but hey if it makes delivery easier I will forgo the reclining.

I think I have what is called "diastasis recti," it is where the ab muscles split. 1 in 3 women get it while pregnant, but most of the time it goes un-diagnosed. It is pretty painful, but there are exercises you can to do help it, which I have been doing but I'm not sure if they are helping yet, time will tell.

I have been taking my blood pressure twice a day and it has been pretty normal except for one time so far. I've notice it is higher the more tired I am. While I know, no one cares what my BP is twice a day, I want to keep it some where for a record:

Date                                    BP                                    Time
5/24                                   111/76                                 PM - Normal
5/25                                   114/70                                 AM - Normal
5/25                                   122/78                                 PM - Normal
5/26                                   121/73                                AM - Normal
5/26                                   118/80                                PM - Normal
5/27                                   120/82                                AM - Normal
5/27                                   109/71                                PM - Normal
5/28                                   117/84                                AM - Normal
5/29                                   118/87                                AM - High - diastolic
5/29                                   128/83                                PM - Normal
5/30                                   118/84                                AM - Normal                            
5/31                                   117/76                                PM - Normal

So, all in in all my BP as been fine, except for that one time on the 29th.