We are currently at 33 weeks. Baby J weighs a little over 4 pounds and is more than 17-inches long. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. He now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). His skin is becoming soft and smooth as he plumps up in preparation for birth!
I had a big baby shower this weekend which my Mom and sister hosted. It was AWESOME! Teri and her friend Jeanette flew in from California for the weekend. My Mom and sis did an AMAZING job as you will soon see/read! Justin and I feel so blessed to have such incredible friends and family. I will write more about it when I get some pictures!
Justin and I spent a long time researching different options for childbirth classes. This being our first baby, we definitely knew that we had a lot to learn. Early on I had thought that Justin had said something about a natural childbirth. He later informed me that this conversation must have been in my own head because he didn't care either way (drugs or no drugs) and would support me with whatever decision I made. I have always wanted to try childbirth without drugs, so we looked around for classes that encouraged this method. After much research and talking to several well-informed friends (Steph, Tig, and Leah) we decided that the Bradley Method looked like a good fit for us. The thing that really attracted us to this method (other than the natural aspect) is that the instructors teach you about the process of childbirth in detail and how to work with your body. My friend Tig knew I would enjoy the classes because they teach you EVERYTHING that happens to your body. Some women would rather not know, but both Justin and I are fascinated by the human body and have been able to integrate our science backgrounds into understanding the details of childbirth.
The classes have been an amazing bonding experience for the two of us. It's been great to Justin there to laugh with (and comfort) me when we watch birthing videos. I show my Biology and Anatomy students a video called the Miracle of Life. At the end of the video there is a live birth. The students get to see the babies head crowning and expulsion, which hopefully is enough to deter them from engaging in activities that would result in them being in that situation:) I now know that that video is a little misleading. The time between the crowning and expulsion is about 30 seconds.....I always think, I can handle that. However, watching the other birthing videos in the Bradley class, I have realized that the time period between the two is much longer and involves a lot more stretching than I was led on to believe!
The first few Bradley classes were very much review for us. Good reminders regarding nutrition and helpful suggestions for exercises to prepare my body for childbirth. Things really got interesting around class # 5 when we really got into the stages of birth. We learned how to time contractions, which neither of us knew how to do. Justin and I both have the HTC EVO so he set us up with an app that will time the contractions for us just in case:)
We have a workbook and have also kept up with the recommended readings from "Husband Coach Childbirth" and "Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way".A brief overview of what we have learned about the stages of labor:
Early phase. This phase typically lasts up to 14 hours or longer, although it's usually considerably shorter for second and subsequent babies. As labor progresses, the contractions get longer and stronger. I hope to still be up and around throughout this phase:)
Active phase. Often this phase lasts up to six or more hours, although it can be a lot shorter. We plan to be in or en route to the hospital by this point. Contractions are much more intense, last about 40 to 60 seconds, and are spaced 3 to 5 minutes apart.
Transition phase. This phase can last anywhere from a few minutes to a several hours. It's here that they tell me that I am most likely to swear like a truck driver. They have encouraged Justin to not take it personally; even women who have coped well up to this point often "lose it" during the transition phase. Contractions last 60 to 90 seconds and come two or three minutes apart.
Second stage - Pushing and birth. The second stage can last from minutes to a few hours — the average is about an hour for a first-time pregnancy (longer with an epidural) — and ends with a moment that's made up in equal parts of relief and breathtaking beauty: the birth of Baby J!
Third stage - Delivery of the placenta. It's not over yet! This stage, which begins immediately after the birth of your baby and ends with the delivery of the placenta anywhere from one to 30 minutes later, is usually anticlimactic but necessary.
I have lots more to share, but this entry is already pretty long so I will save it for later!
7 comments:
Sara! I'm so happy to know that you have a blog -- now I can keep updated about your baby! So excited for you! Tell everyone hello and take care of yourself. Tara
AH! Sara, we just had our third class yesterday and we learned about the phases too. So interesting. Glad you are enjoying it!
You should know that your grandmother was a big promoter of natural childbirth. This was almost unheard of in 1949 and only because she was an RN at the hospital where she gave birth was she able to talk the doctors into allowing her to do this. Unfortunately they did not allow husbands to coach at the time. They were banished to the waiting room. If you look on the bookcase in Littleton, you will find the book by one of the pioneers of natural childbirth that was written many years ago which she used to coach herself.
Karen
That is AMAZING Aunt Karen! I will definitely have to look for that book. I skype with Gramps every week and he nevr mentioned it - I will have to ask him tonight. After all that we have learned, I cannot imagine doing this without Justin!
Grandppa may not remember what his wife went through! But shortly after I had Thomas I discovered the book. Not sure its still there, they may have tossed it when they moved down to LIttleton from Bailey. Grandma did tell me the story that one big reason she went natural was that as a nurse she had experienced how crazy the drugged up moms acted in the delivery room. She didn't want to embarrass herself in front of the people she worked with! There is an episode in Mad Men that documents very well what child birth was like in the middle 20th century. The main character gets pretty crazy and has hallucinations while the father is stuck in the waiting room.
I think I found the book. It is "Childbirth Without Fear: The Principles and Practice of Natural Childbirth"
By Grantly Dick-Read It was originally published in 1942. It was recently republished. It is pretty incredible for its time and your Grandmother was also way ahead of her time!
Thanks so much for the info Aunt Karen! It's no surprise that Grandma was ahead of her time:)I will have to check out that book!
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