Category Archives: Pregnancy and Childbirth

Baby Update: Six Weeks to Go

I met with the midwife yesterday. Here’s the baby update:

I’m measuring a little small but in the “normal” category (but I am a little small and I have a long torso so that’s to be expected, I think.)
Baby’s back is on my left side and his head is down! 😀
His feet are kicking my right side, so that’s what keeps poking out around there.
His heart beat is normal.

My husband and I are taking a three-session, six-hours-in-all “childbirth education class.” After two two-hour sessions, I haven’t really learned anything that I haven’t read in a book. 😐 But it’s good all the same. It is clear that in Australia there is much less emphasis on epidurals and much more emphasis on active labor (i.e., moving around) and other pain control options (gas, which is illegal in the states, and some other stuff). At the same time, 50% of women in this particular hospital do get an epidural so it’s definitely an option. 🙂

For all of you who have gone through labor: they haven’t discussed “breathing” at all. I thought those “breathing” techniques were an important part of labor. Did you think so? That is something I haven’t read anything about and now they haven’t discussed it. Just curious what you think is important to know.

Here’s what other people are telling me this week (and my reaction):

Well, you’re swelling up nicely! (How am I to respond to that?! Just wondering…)
You are very tiny for 34 weeks. (What else is new?)
You’re baby will surely be born sooner rather than later–you’re carrying low. (I thought I was just “small.”)
You really popped out this week! (Actually, it was a few weeks ago that I grew a few cm in one week, but if you didn’t notice, that’s OK.)
Well, there’s definitely a baby down there. (So that’s what that kicking from inside is…)
You walk like a pregnant woman! (This is from my husband. Thank you for rubbing it in… 🙄 )

All in all, I am so very excited to meet this little guy. Pretty soon now. Six weeks is half the time it took to get our Australian visas. No sweat!

Hopefully, we’ll get our baby crib and nursery set up before he comes!

Preparing for Baby

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We’ve been looking at cribs this week. Here they are called cots. This, of course, is “a must” for baby. I also really would like a glider rocking chair. I hear that they are “a must” for late night feedings. I’ve looked at some. We could rent one rather inexpensively, I think.

We will meet with our furniture rental company on Saturday. Our wish list (I should rephrase that: my wish list) has grown larger. It includes the following items to either rent or buy:

cot (aka crib)
mattress
dresser (four drawer) with change tray on top
glider rocking chair
two-seater couch for upstairs (for sitting during the day when I don’t feel like going back downstairs or when a slightly older baby is crawling around playing contentedly)
change mat for downstairs (I have a perfect place for a baby changing station in the laundry room!)
portable crib for downstairs (so he can sleep or play while I cook dinner, etc.)

What am I forgetting in terms of furniture? I know there are all sorts of other baby things on my lists…

In the mean time, while we still don’t have baby’s room all set up, I did add a webpage for our baby. See the link in the right column for Paul’s Page. I figure, making a webpage for him will make it easy to post the extra-adorable pictures of the extra-adorable kid once he comes. You won’t even have to read my ramblings. (Unfortunately, I think you have to register separately on that page in order to post comments.)

Does it seem strange that Paul is still kicking around inside of me and yet he already has a webpage? It is kind of odd, I admit.

ETA April 2011: Paul’s separate webpage has been merged into this one.

Just Right

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I went to the hospital on Tuesday. The midwife measured me. I am 29 cm. At 28 1/2 weeks, that is just right.

So I don’t want anyone to tell me that I’m too small! She told me that I can just ignore anyone who tells me that.

So there.

Of course, it didn’t stop the Relief Society sisters at Enrichment night. Someone said they were only carrying on because they were jealous.

Why would anyone be jealous? I want to look like I’m 6 1/2 months pregnant! I don’t want to look “small.” Not at this point.

Give me another two months.

On Being 6 Months Pregnant

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It is July 4, 2007. My baby is due three months from today: October 4, 2007.

We went to our new ward on Sunday. I introduced myself in Relief Society. After explaining where we’re from and why we’re 10,000 miles from home for the next few years, I told them that I was also 6 months pregnant with our first child.

You’d have thought I’d said I was from the moon.

“You?! I look more pregnant than you do!”

“It must be any day now that you’re just going to pop out!”

“You’re so tiny! I never would have guessed.”

So I survived the icky first trimester, being sick every other day, and now that I’m finally getting big (and I am getting big!) no one actually believes I’m big enough. Haven’t I paid the price to be pregnant? I know, during the next three months I will get progressively more uncomfortable and large. But really, ladies, please believe me and be excited with me! And please don’t tell me I’m too small.

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Thoughts on womanhood and motherhood

Category Archives: Pregnancy and Childbirth

Baby Update: Six Weeks to Go

Preparing for Baby

Just Right

On Being 6 Months Pregnant

Women’s Conference