Prepping For Baby: Prenatal Care.

* I realize the choices that I have made regarding my prenatal care isn't right for everyone. I am in no way suggesting that my way is the best way. I simply believe it is the best for me and my baby. I also in no way dislike doctors. I am very thankful for them and they are absolutely necessary for many woman during their pregnancies.*

 For this pregnancy, my third and possibly last, I decided to do a couple of things different when it comes to preparing for and delivering my baby. One of those is the kind of prenatal care and delivery I am choosing. As I've said before my two previous pregnancies and deliveries were text book perfect. I have been very blessed to have never had the slightest complication. With both of the previous pregnancies, like most women in the US, I saw an Ob for my prenatal care. That is almost the only choice for expecting women in the area that I live. The care I received from my doctor wasn't in any way poor. She is a well respected and very highly regarded physician and I was quite lucky to be one of her patients. However, during and after both pregnancies I felt like it wasn't quite what I wanted. But I never knew what it was that was missing and I honestly didn't know what it was I wanted. I just knew I wasn't completely satisfied with my experience. Until one day during my sweet Karoline's nap time that I turned on Netflix and stumbled upon the documentary, "The Business of Being Born". I immediately knew what is was that I had been missing.

 There was never really a question about whether or not we would try to have a third child. I knew when it was time for my third pregnancy I would certainly be doing things differently. When I found out I was expecting I read everything I could get my hands on. The first choice I made was to see a Midwife instead of an Ob for my prenatal care. Like I said before, the area I live in has very limited choices when it comes to pregnancy care. I knew I wanted a Certified Nursing Midwife. That is a midwife who has a nursing degree and, in addition, has attended a school of Midwifery.  After a lot of research I discovered there are only 2 in my area. They both run a free standing birth center together. I immediately called and set up my first appointment.

 Obviously, I have yet to deliver my baby, but I can say that the prenatal care I am receiving is amazing! The biggest difference is just the way my pregnancy is viewed. With my Ob it was viewed as a medical condition. It was very clear that the decisions that were made about my care and definitely about my delivery would ultimately be made by my doctor. And if I wanted something that differed from what she suggested it would be quite the fight to get it. My midwife views it as a natural part of life. She shares the belief that my body knows what it's doing. My baby will come when he is ready and when he does my body will know what to do to get him out. Now with that being said she is not some crunchy hippie living in the middle of nowhere with zero medical equipment. I am still offered the same testing and labs as I was with my Ob and she has made it very clear that in the unlikely event that I develop complications that require medical attention my care will be transferred to a doctor.

 Another big difference I've noticed are my appointments. Since I will be going to approximately 12 appointments over the entire pregnancy it is important to me that my time be valued. I'll give an example of a typical appointment compared to one I received at my Ob.

Ob appointment:
-Arrive at my appointment on time to a very standard looking doctors office.
-Greeted by a receptionist who doesn't have a clue who I am because she has seen 100 other patients that day.
-Sit down in the full waiting room in an uncomfortable chair and wait 15 or 20 minutes past my appointment time.
- After finally being called back I would get weighed and have my blood pressure taken by the nurse. After she left I would wait another 10-15 minutes for the doctor.
- The doctor would arrive and ask me if I'm having any problems. She would then measure my belly, listen to the heartbeat and ask me if I had any questions. After no more than 5 minutes she would be done.
- I would then wait in line to make my next appointment. And spend a few minutes trying to find a time that would work for me.

So to recap I spent approximately 30-40 minutes waiting and 5 minutes with the doctor. And if I happened to have my other child with me the wait was even more difficult. It was strongly recommended that younger children not attend appointments.

Midwife appointment:
 -Arrive at my appointment on time to a very home like office.
- Greeted by name by one of the midwives or their apprentice.
- Sit down at a small desk and take and record my own weight and blood pressure. Now, I have to be honest this was a little weird to me the first time. She explained to me that by taking my own it helps keep me more aware of both. After the first couple of appointments I definitely agreed!
- I then sit down on a comfortable couch. I always have Karoline with me and she has her choice of many toys and books to keep her entertained.
-After no more than 5 minutes I get called back by my midwife,
- I sit down on another comfortable couch and she asks me how I'm feeling. She also asks about my morning and just spends time getting to know me. She also talks to Karoline and asks her questions while she is sitting  and playing.
- I get up on the exam table, with Karoline laying beside me, and she measures my belly. She also listens to the heartbeat and lets Karoline push the button to start the doppler :)
- I then get down and sit back on the couch. She tells me what I can be expecting over the next few weeks. She makes my next appointment for me and walks me out.

From the time I arrive to the time I leave I am there for 30 minutes which is comparable to how long I spent at my Ob's except for, at the very most, I only have to wait 5 minutes and I spent a whole 25 minutes with my midwife.

 I love that my time is valued. I love that time is taken to get to know me. I love that when it comes time to deliver my baby she will know more than just my medical history. She will know what makes me comfortable and even more importantly what I want my from birth experience. I feel just as safe about the care I am receiving as I did with my doctor. But unlike my doctor the desire for an unmedicated birth will not be dismissed, but rather encouraged. I love that I'm not viewed as having a medical condition, but a woman having a baby just like woman have since the beginning of time.

I could go on and on about how much I am loving this experience, but if it's something you would like to consider I would encourage you to do your own research to decide if it's right for you.  There is an abundance of information online and in your library. I would also encourage you to watch the documentary I mentioned above!

If you're in my area and are interested in seeing my midwife you can visit their website here.

I am beginning my childbirth classed this week. I will have post about my experience with it after I've completed it and of course another after I deliver.

24 Week Bumpdate

It's already time for another monthly update! I'm now half way into my 6th month and only have around 110 days to go! 

I do have different plans when it comes to preparing and delivering this baby. I have a few posts coming up about what I'm doing different. I hope to have the first one up very soon!

Here's the update :)

How many weeks along? 24 weeks

How big is baby?  He weighs just over a pound and is about a foot long!

Total weight gain? At my last appointment I had gained a total of 8 pounds. Still a little low, but he's definitely growing!

Maternity clothes? Yes. I'm getting quite uncomfortable so I mostly opt for yoga pants and t-shirts :)

Stretch marks? Luckily, no!

Anything make you queasy or sick? Nope!

Labor signs? Nope. Lots of Braxton hicks though. 

Happy or moody? Mostly happy :)

Sleep? Non exsistent :(

Exercise? Walking and squats mostly :)

Miss anything? Bending over!

Movement? All the time <3

Cravings? Sweet pickles!!! I could eat a jar a day!

Anything make you queasy or sick? Nope!

Anything your looking forward to? We'll be starting childbirth classes soon!!

And here's a Christmas shot of the big belly :) 

20 week bumpdate!!

We're halfway done! I can't believe it. This pregnancy is flying by. That makes be both happy and sad, depending on the day :)

The biggest update I have this month is our sweet baby's gender! We are beyond happy to announce we are expecting a BOY!!!! We are all so excited! I was convinced it was a boy the entire time, but I was still surprised when I heard it. I cannot wait to be a mom to a little boy!

For the rest of my updates I'm going to answer the same questions every month to better keep track of changes and progress. 

So, here we go: 

How many weeks along? 20 weeks

How big is baby? He weighs about 10.5 ounces and is 10 inches long. About the size of a banana :) 

Total weight gain? At my last appointment 2 weeks ago I was up 3 pounds. It's probably safe to say that number will be higher thanks to the recent holiday!

Maternity clothes? Yes. Other than a few t-shirts, everything is maternity. 

Stretch marks? Luckily, no. I've made it through 2 pregnancies so far with very minimal stretch marks. We'll see how this goes. 

Sleep? Not the best. Between the potty breaks, crazy dreams and not being able to sleep on my stomach, I don't sleep for long stretches :(

Exercise? Unfortunately, not much at the moment. I walk as much as possible, but it has been really difficult :(

Miss anything? Exercise!!!!

Movement? He definitely moves, but it's pretty sporadic whether or not I feel it :(

Cravings? Peanut M&M's!!! How I haven't gained 20 pounds from the amount I've eaten is beyond me!

Anything make you queasy or sick? Nope!

Labor signs? Nope. I do get Braxton hicks contractions pretty regularly though. 

Happy or moody? Happy...my family may say different. LOL

Anything your looking forward to? I have my 20 week anatomy scan this week. I'm excited about seeing my little guy <3

Finally, the belly shot :) 

And the view from the top :)

16 week Bumpdate.

Week 16 - 168 days to go!

First, let me start by apologizing for the lack of updates. Besides being too tired to do anything up until the last few weeks, there just aren't a lot of changes form week to week. So, it's probably more exciting/interesting if I do a monthly update rather than weekly. 

So here I am at 16 weeks! I can't believe how quickly it's going by! That both excites me and overwhelms me :) Out little baby is doing great! It's now about the size of an avocado. Over the last few weeks there has started to be definite flutters! They are becoming more frequent and little stronger. Those little kicks are the best reward for enduring that awful first trimester! 

I'm now a couple of weeks into my second trimester and I feel almost completely normal! I do find that I'm a bit slower and have to rest frequently while doing certain tasks. But, at least I'm doing something!

This coming Friday is a big day! We will be finding out the gender of our little one. I cannot wait!! As cliche as it sounds I just want a healthy baby. But, I would be lying if I didn't say a part of me would love to have a little boy. I love being a mom of 2 beautiful girls so I would be just as happy to have a third little princess. We plan on having a small gender reveal lunch early Saturday afternoon so I'll be announcing the big news on Instagram that afternoon!

Here is the most recent picture of the baby bump. It's about 2 weeks old, but nothing has really changed. With my last pregnancy I popped pretty early, but then it stalled for quite a while. It seems that is how this one is going to be :) 

Week 10 Bumpdate.

Week 10 - 210 days to go!

It's already week 10! Time seems to be flying by...for now :) 

I've been slacking on my weekly updates. The last few weeks have been pretty rough as far as how I've been feeling. With only a few weeks left in my first trimester I hope that I'll be feeling better soon! 

The little one is still growing fast. It's about the size of a kumquat. That's a big change from the poppy seed it was just 6 weeks ago! All of its critical development is complete and it's tiny little organs are starting to function. It's little fingers and toes are no longer webbed and it can move its limbs. I hope to feel those little movements in the next few weeks :) 

I have my first prenatal appointment this week. I'm really excited and hope to hear a beautiful little heartbeat <3

As far as my bump goes, it's definitely growing. In the morning it's looks like the picture below, but thanks to plenty of bloating its huge by the end of the day!! 

 

I'll be sure to update next week with all the details from my appointment :)

Week 7 Bumpdate.

Week 7 - 231 days to go!

Not a lot of changes for this week. Overall, I'm feeling pretty good. I'm just soooo tired! I had fatigue my first 2 pregnancies, but with a quick nap I was able to make it through my day. This time no amount of napping makes me not feel tired. Other than that I can't complain. 

It was really important to me to continue working out through this pregnancy. That is turning out to be easier said than done. Aside from having no energy, I physically can't do what I could do just 8 weeks ago. I attempted a Zumba class and got so winded and exhausted, I had to leave halfway through. I'm nervous to push myself too far so I'm sticking with walking and light to moderate weights. Hopefully the 2nd trimester will bring more energy and I can pick it up a bit. 

The little bun in my oven is growing like crazy! It has doubled in the past week and its now the size of a blueberry :) little hands and feet are developing and the tip of its little nose is visible. 

Here is this weeks bump picture: 

Not much of a change. There is a little bit of a pooch, but that's just bloat ;)

Here is a diagram of my little blueberry. If anatomically correct diagrams offend you then I would suggest that you stop reading now :)

Week 6 Bumpdate.

Week 6 - 238 days to go!

Today is the start of my 6th week. Fatigue has definitely hit full force! I'm not a napper, but I find myself napping on almost a daily basis...as my very active toddler allows. 

My first 2 pregnancies were pretty much identical. So far this one has a few differences. The biggest being that I'm not having any nausea or food/smell aversions. In fact, it's quite the opposite. I am very hungry...all the time! It's so bad I have to get up in the middle of the night to snack :) I struggled to gain weight the first 2 times, but its looking like that's not going to be the case this time!

Even though my pants are becoming quite snug, there's not much of a difference in the way I look. But, this little baby if mine is growing like crazy! It's about a quarter of an inch long, which is very small, but just 2 weeks ago it was the size of a poppy seed! That's a huge growth spurt! It also has a good strong heartbeat 💜 

Here's this weeks bump pic. I'm going to try to wear the same thing every week...unless I start busting the seams :)