Week 27 - Getting Excited

Last week I had a moment of temporary panic as Andy pointed out that I was almost into my third trimester...and we had done practically nothing to get ready for the baby (hence last week's post about preparations). So I ordered several books (a couple were recommended by my CNM, another recommended in a forum, and the last one had been lent to me previously but I wanted a copy I could write all over and mark up for my own purposes) and they arrived on Friday. I pretty much spent the entire weekend leafing through them and getting a boatload of crap out of the office so we could turn it into a nursery. It was so overwhelming to start working in there, because it had basically become the room we just shove stuff into when it doesn't have a place, and I burst into tears after my second time getting popcorn peanuts all over the floor trying to empty boxes. Eventually we worked through most of the room and got a ton of stuff taken care of. And I'm not kidding about how much crap we removed. The equivalent of 4 Hefty bags of trash and another bag or two of stuff for Goodwill. We're working at getting over our pack-rat tendencies so I don't become a candidate for Hoarders, which I've never watched but the idea of the show itself is enough to creep me out so in actuality we're probably okay. Run-on sentences today, much?

Anywho, after all that reading I'm actually looking forward to going through labor and giving birth instead of being afraid of the big what-ifs. I have a much better sense of all the possibilities that might come up, so I can build a more detailed birth plan. For one thing, I feel better educated (just from the quick look-throughs) to know what I'll want to do if I get into a situation that I was hoping to avoid. After looking through everything, I can pass off the books to Andy and say "Read this chapter, especially right here, and don't bother with the other section because we already know who our doctor is and where I'm delivering." And then I can use my super-power of obsessiveness to make us talk it over even more and make sure he's comfortable with everything in the birth plan and run through it with the doctors too to make sure they won't have any issues with making it happen.

A couple of funny thoughts after looking through those books. For starters, it would be fantastic if these books got updated every decade or so. There's something creepy about seeing pictures of a couple used for illustrative purposes and joking with Andy that it could be my dad... and then calling my mom just to double-check. I'd like to think that these books aren't something my parents might have used when I was born... over twenty years ago. It's hard not to laugh at some of the fantastically '80s-style mustaches, but I also know that a lot of the practices that were discussed as "possible in some parts of the country but going out of favor in others" aren't even done any more. What else might I be missing by not having something current to look through? Then again, the last update of What to Expect includes the possibility of being shaved and given an enema before birth, which hasn't been standard for quite some time, so we'll probably be just fine. I guess they just have cover their bases for women giving birth at Podunk Hospital in No Man's Land in the South.

The other interesting thing about looking through the different books is seeing how they approach the same issues, the descriptions they use, and the positions they take on different issues. I figure if the same things come up again, I should pay attention because there's no bias here, just the truth. It makes it a lot easier to imagine what it will be like when I have a couple of points to base a comparison off of and to recognize where I'll stand on some issues based on how much I've agreed with the rest of the points. One of the books is extremely firm in it's anti-drug stance, and while that is my goal, I also like to know what the best pain relief option will be for me to rest up and get back to a minimal intervention birth in case I become exhausted well before I'm actually ready to push. Side note: I will probably need to bring in the patented Allie Brosh improved pain chart. Much better to reference a scale that means something if I'm in pain similar to a bear mauling.

Luckily we have our childbirth prep classes starting this week, which are supposed to cover some relaxation techniques, what to expect in general with the birth process, and possible interventions needed at the hospital. I think the most useful part of it is going to be getting familiar with the routine practices my office uses so I can include my feelings about them in my plan. It will also be great to meet some other parents who will have kids the same age as Brianna, and most of them will be first time parents as well. I also get to go in for my third trimester glucose tolerance test, where I drink syrup and get blood pulled after an hour. Hopefully I'll get enough figured out between the classes and meeting with the doctor (an OB/GYN this time) that I'll have a good birth plan to post on Friday.

Brianna is now two and a quarter pounds in weight, and measures almost 9 and three-quarters inches crown to rump or about 15 inches full body length. I notice all 15 inches the most when she seems to stretch out and press me from both ends. It's a great way to figure out how she's positioned, even if it does occasionally feel like I'm carrying an octopus instead of a human. She's also perfected giving me a 1-2 punch, which Andy got to feel yesterday. Her taste buds are fully formed, and it's possible that she might react to the foods I eat if they're spicy or pungent. I haven't really noticed this yet, but we're planning on a fusion style stir-fry with chipotles for dinner this weekend. If you hear any screams from my general vicinity, you'll know that Brianna is apparently not a fan of spicy food.