17 weeks

Yes I look like a bum! Technically 17w3d for this picture.

How far along?: 17 weeks
Total weight gain: 10lbs. - last week should have said 9lbs. but it autocorrected to something stupid
Maternity clothes: I was basically wearing the same two stretchy pair of jeans and some leggings everyday so I decided to wear a pair of maternity corduroys since I'm skipping the whole "wearing my pants unbuttoned" this time around. If they don't button then I'm packing them away - it's awkward and uncomfortable and I don't care. 
Best moment this week: We had a massive snow storm basically everyday this week and because of it we lost power at work on Thursday. My boss sent us a text after Finn was already at daycare so I stayed home alone did laundry, dishes and cleaned the house - it was veeeery needed! And of course it's always awesome to hear the heartbeat at my midwives since I had my appointment on Wednesday.
Symptoms: My stomach is definitely starting to stretch and get hard to the point where I'm sore. My stomach is already starting to get heavy when I stand for too long as well. 
Miss anything?: Not really this week.
Movement: I ate ice cream saturday night and laid around trying to feel something but nothing yet.
Food cravings: For whatever reason I wanted cheese fries a couple of times this week. I'm pretty sure I've had cheese fries maybe once in my life so not sure where the craving even came from. 
Have you started to show yet?: Definitely popped again this week, and I can even feel that I'm stretching.
Gender prediction: No clue. I feel like I have no time to think about it this time around. Which makes me feel guilty but I know I'll probably feel this way forever now that I'm a mom.
Mood: Exhausted!
Looking forward to: Going to our anatomy scan on Wednesday :)

Finn caught the stomach bug from a kid at daycare (there's only 4 kids at his home daycare so when one gets something they all do) on Tuesday and spent all night throwing up the poor little guy. He took three baths that night it smelled so bad. I stayed home with him Wednesday after my midwife appointment and he was pretty much fine by noon. He still hasn't eaten much but luckily he's happy!

My Birth Plan

As my due date has come and gone I figured I would post about my birth plan. As some know or may not, we are using a midwife and I'll be giving birth at a Birth Center that is attached to a hospital so that if an emergency does come up we do have help right there. We do use the L&D nurses and we've met a bunch who are sooo nice and all say they prefer working with the midwives since the atmosphere is so much more relaxed.

We actually don't have to put too much in our birth plan because a lot of what we want is already protocol not only for the midwives but for the hospital in general. I'll give birth and stay the next 36-48 hours all in the same room which is huge and soooo nice, its like a hotel. Some of the things we want that are standard is not being asked if I want medication - not even the nurses will ask unless I seriously bring it up; I want to labor in the spa tub, walk around, try different positions to help relieve pain and use the birthing stool, squat bar and birthing ball; wait to clamp the umbilical cord until it stops pulsating; have skin to skin time right away with the baby for an hour or longer; withhold all weighing, measuring, shots, etc. until after skin to skin time; dad gives baby first bath if wanted and in room; all newborn procedures done in room and in front of parents. There's more that I'm sure I'm missing but they keep it all as natural and as instinctual as possible. So in addition to all of that, here is the rest of our birth plan:

My Birth Plan:

I only want Tom present. My parents may visit me when they first get to the hospital but no one else is allowed to see me under any circumstances.

I am very private and modest and want to be as comfortable as possible and I’m not sure that is possible with new people present.

I prefer minimal internal exams or at my request only. (Midwives only do this once every 4 hours instead of the standard 2 but if I don't want them at the time I don't have to)

Concerning GBS Antibiotics: I want to start them once I have reached 6 or 7cm. I am hoping to only need one dose. I will try a heplock but only if I can have it in my forearm, not in my hand. I have a huge needle phobia and do not want this to be an issue. 

I do not want to be told when to push and do not want any counting while pushing.

Language about time is not okay. I do not want anyone to say, “you’re almost there,” “it’s almost over,” “it will be over soon,” or anything that has to do with time when I am pushing. It is ok to say “you’re strong,” “your baby’s moving forward,” etc. (As a marathon runner I hate when I still have 3 miles left and the crowd is cheering "you're almost there" when in fact three more miles is still a long time and is still very hard, even the last 100 yards is hard and from my point of view feels like forever away.)

Tom would like to catch the baby. 

We will provide clothing, hats and blankets for our baby as our family has a history of sensitive skin - we will be using organic clothing. 

I’d like Tom to stay with the baby at all times if I cannot be present.

I plan to breastfeed exclusively. 

I would like Tom to give the baby his first bath and with water only – no soap – again due to sensitive skin.

Please do not administer eye drops to my baby.

Please delay the administration of vitamin K and PKU testing until after breastfeeding and bonding. 

Please, no HepB vaccine for our baby. 

If C-Section if necessary due to emergency:

Tom should be present at ALL times.

I would like to have immediate contact with the baby.

I admire Baby-Friendly hospitals and would like skin-to-skin with the baby, keeping the mother-baby dyad together during the repair and recovery, and encouraging unlimited breast-feeding, even during initial recovery period. 

I would like Tom to stay with the baby at ALL times. He is to be the first to hold the baby – I want limited nurse interaction with the baby and have Tom perform any procedures possible.

So there it is. Not everyone will agree with what we want but we feel it's what is best for us. We also know that our birth may not go as planned which is why I wrote a part about a possible c-section but I want to try my hardest to have the birth go as planned. Here's to hoping he comes soon!!!

40 Weeks

Picture from 40w1d but I am now 40w3d as I write this!

How far along?: 40 weeks and 1 day in this picture

Maternity clothes: Still mostly regular clothes but most of my tank tops are a little too short to wear now!

Best moment this week: Going to the midwife and having her tell me she doesn't think I'll make it through the weekend without having this baby!

Symptoms: Still pretty tired but I officially had my last day of work on Tuesday. I'm afraid that the stress of work is not allowing me to relax enough which is why he isn't out yet! Last week at the midwife I was 2cm and 70% effaced and this week I was 3cm, 80% effaced, cervix is very soft and he's at -1 station so the progression in a week is awesome and its why they think I'm coming any day now. I also had my membranes stripped while I was there this week for an extra jump start which was a little more painful than I expected but she said it's because I have a high cervix to begin with and because he's so ready. So TMI (at least for those who haven't had babies or aren't pregnant since I've learned there's no such thing as TMI with someone who is with child or has given birth) I had bloody show on Saturday which is very good and then again yesterday after the procedure, a few times during the day and then in the middle of the night and this morning which is a good sign that I've had it more than just the once after the procedure. I haven't had any contractions yet but I've had much more pressure than normal!

Movement: He is still a very active boy! 

Food cravings: I wanted nachos last night but figured that would not be a good meal to eat if I were to go into labor so I didn't give in!

Have you started to show yet?: Oh yes! 

Gender prediction: It's a boy!

Mood: So impatient!!! I'm beyond ready for him to come out! My co-worker who was due two weeks after me went into labor yesterday and another old co-worker of mine who was due a week after me had her baby today. Granted this was the second for both of them, but I'm so jealous and want him to come NOW!

Looking forward to: Meeting our little man, sharing his name (I honestly think this is the longest I've ever kept a personal secret from any of my best friends and family) and becoming a family of 3!

I'm really hoping that not being at work and being able to relax will help labor start. I took a bath this morning (we have a miniature tub but it was better than nothing) and then went and got my hair cut since that's always my go to when I want to unwind and feel good about myself. I haven't gained any weight in two weeks and I've been measuring a week small (39cm this week instead of 40cm) for the past two weeks which is also a sign that my body is ready to labor so now its up to the little man to make his entrance, we're all waiting for him!!!

Using a Midwife

Tom and I decided awhile ago that we would use a midwife once we were pregnant. Personally the only time I have been in a hospital is when I was born and to visit others [ mainly my younger brother who is fairly accident prone ]. I also watched the movie "The Business of Being Born" and although every documentary should be watched with an open mind, knowing there are two sides to every story, it made a lot of good points. The one thing that really upset me was that the c-section rate in the US is over 30%!!! Mostly due to the fact that doctors are on a time schedule and therefore your birth is on a time schedule. Also, being someone who hates needles and has never had surgery, the traditional hospital setting was not something I ever wanted and I'm honestly more scared of an epidural or a c-section than I am of having a natural birth.

Birth is a natural process in a women's life and a midwife not only understand that but supports it as well. There are no unnecessary procedures that impose on the natural timeline of labor and they know that every woman is different and labors at a different rate. "National research shows that midwives achieve the same outcomes as physicians without disrupting the natural birth process as often. Research also shows that midwives have reduced cesarean section rates by more than 50% with no compromise in safety. In fact, care from midwives has significantly lower rates of induced labor, episiotomies, and forcep births." - Midwive's Association [ but I'll write another post on why we chose a natural birth another time ]

[ Ina May Gaskin is considered the "Mother of Authentic Midwifery" ] 

After researching more about mid-wives I was convinced a natural birth was perfect and began to look for one in our area. The closest was in Vergennes, VT - a little over an hour from us. Plus they had a birthing center at Porter Hospital in Middlebury, VT - about 45 minutes form us - which made both Tom and I more comfortable in case there was a true emergency there were Ob-Gyn's on call. We had our first appointment with Tapestry Midwifery that lasted 1.5hours and they answered every question we had and talked to us about what to expect and made us feel important. We never felt rushed and we have never waited forever for the midwife. Here's a short list of why we are using a midwife:

• Midwives see you as a person. They do not see pregnancy as a disease that needs to be solved. 
• Midwives give you more time - a lot more. You only see the midwife during your thirty minutes or hour appointments so there is no see a nurse and then waiting another thirty minutes to see the doctor who only stays for maybe 15 minutes. 
• Midwives believe in informed consent. They never force you into "routine" tests or procedures as they allow you to make informed decisions by giving you all of the information you need. 
• Midwives want you to have a natural, healthy birth as much as you do. They have many different, holistic ways of keeping you as comfortable and as calm as possible during labor.
• Midwives allow you to eat and drink during labor. During the first appointment our midwife said "How would you like to run a marathon without ever eating or drinking during it?" This made complete sense especially since exhaustion is one of the main reasons births stall in a traditional setting. 
• Midwives allow you to birth in whatever position you want. laying with your legs in stirrups is the most inconvenient way to give birth but is very convenient for a doctor. Midwives believe you should give birth whatever way is most comfortable which is usually squatting or on all fours - both positions use gravity and make birthing "easier" and you are less likely to tear. 

Those are the main reasons we decided to use a midwife but there are many, many more! It's not the conventional way to give birth in the US but it is in Europe and most other countries. So feel free to ask any questions you may have!!!