my-speck

i'm pregnant and it's going to be a rollercoaster

grumpy and emotional February 1, 2009

Filed under: birthing,camping,eating,emotion,exercise,pregnancy — rakster @ 11:30 am
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Hi Speck,

I am grumpy and emotional today.  Your dad is really annoying and has yelled at me and made me cry.  And I told him I hated him.  Which I don’t.  But I was upset at the time.  Anyway.   Hopefully it will abate by tomorrow.  If its not all your dad’s fault it must be all your fault.  Not mine at all.   (kidding).

Otherwise.  It has been very busy here over the past few days.  Your Aunt 3 arrived on Thursday night and has been staying, and then Aunt 2 & D arrived for a night on Friday, and your dad came home too.  So there was a full house and we had a big breakfast all together in the garden yesterday morning before I headed off to yoga again and Aunt 2 & D went on their way.  They took away the little green car that your Dad and I bought when we were both at university and had been going out for just over a year.  It was a bit of a funny feeling to see it go.  Your dad lived at the Gold Coast and I lived in Brisbane when we first met, so we were forever catching the train and bus to each-others houses for the weekend and during the week, and borrowing cars whenever we could.  But it was a lot of travelling, so we looked forward to getting a car together.  Your Grandad lent us the money and we bought the little green car after a month or so of research.   It had been owned by an old lady and not driven much, and was in pretty good condition.  Anyway, 7 years, lots of camping, shopping, holidaying and general driving around later, it got retired a few months ago when we got a new second-hand car.  Not in your honour, we’d planned to anyway, but the new car has air-con (essential in Brisbane with a kid) and is bigger and has 5 doors so easier to get you in and out of.  So not sad to lose the old green car, but a little nostalgic.  We gave it to your Aunt 2 & Aunt 3 for Christmas.  Hopefully your Aunt 3 will get her licence so she too can drive it.  ‘Cause we don’t actually drive all that much, we tend to bike and walk quite a bit and bus and train and what not, although its pretty old now it doesn’t have many kms on it, so they might get some good use out of it.   See, I am somewhat emotional for some reason.

Yoga makes me feel a bit better – its been really nice this week to finally be able to get off my bum and do some exercise after being chair-bound for the past few weeks with my ankle.   Its making me feel more like a human and less like a lump that is incubating an alien and getting fatter by the day.   Its a strange feeling to be getting big – exciting cause I’m growing with you, but scary at the same time as I need to start thinking about the fact that while the fact that you’re getting bigger is good, the bigger you get the harder it is going to be to get you out.   I have started reading the Janet Balaskas New Active Birth book more earnestly than my previous cursory glances.  And have found a few places in Brisbane that offer Active Birthing classes for me, you and your dad to go to before you’re due to come out.  So we can practice and learn more about it.  I think we’ll book in for some soon.  Your dad is keen too.

your home - week 19

your home – week 19

Yesterday was pretty active.  Yoga, then me, your Dad, Aunt 3 and Deano went snorkelling at Gordon’s bay.   Your Aunt was very excited to see some Groper as long as her arm.   It was pretty cold in the water though, apparently there was a north easterly swell which brings cold water from somewhere.  A bit brisk.  But beautiful  – blue and aqua-green and a lovely day at the beach.   We then went for lunch & GOOD icecream at Pompeii’s in Bondi Beach.     Mmm.  I definitely need a new icecream maker though.  Mine just isn’t working as it should.  Not freezing properly anymore.

Cokemeister came for dinner and your dad made lovely moroccan fish with a rub he made and some hommus and a fennel and cabbage salad.  Yum.  And a berry (strawberry, raspberry and blueberry), biscotti and hot chocolate sauce thing for dessert.  Very replete.

Hope you’re well and not picking-up my grumpy vibes.

love you

mum

 

Weird birth story. Ok Speck – I’m sure you’ll fare better than either of the two unfortunate offspring of these two crazy Canadians…. January 10, 2009

Filed under: birthing,pregnancy — rakster @ 2:23 pm
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Extract from an AFP report published in the Brisbane times … Woman mistakes labour pains for kidney stone …

“

OTTAWA – A Canadian woman rushed to hospital on New Year’s Eve for what she believed was a kidney stone gave birth to a baby boy instead, local media said on Thursday.

“This is some kidney stone, isn’t it,” the woman, cradling the newborn in her arms, told Canwest New Service. “We’re still in shock. We just can’t believe it.”

Juanita Stead, 36, said she did not suffer morning sickness or put on extra weight during her pregnancy, and continued to menstruate and so she had no idea that she was pregnant.

A hospital X-ray on New Year’s Eve for back pains revealed the truth.

“The technician looked at me and said, ‘My dear, you’re pregnant with a full-term baby.’ And I said: ‘No sir, you got the wrong woman and you’re looking at the wrong screen. There is no way I’m pregnant,” she said.

Nicholas was born soon afterwards.

Coincidentally, the birth of the couple’s first child, two-year-old Cameron, also caught them off guard.

Stead knew she was pregnant with Cameron, she said, but he arrived two months early.

“I felt like I had to go to the bathroom and out he popped, right into the toilet,” she said. Her husband scooped their first-born out the toilet and put him in his mother’s lap until an ambulance arrived, she said.

AFP
”

Baby Mistake No. 1:
Not knowing you’re pregnant and thinking you just have random back pain.

Ok now Speck, I know you’re there! So that covers baby mistake no. 1 highlighted in this report…

Baby Mistake No. 2:
Giving birth so the baby falls into the toilet

And Speck, I guess I can’t be sure that this one won’t happen. But I will take precautions. Like if I get discomfort close to the due date that is persistent perhaps I’ll just pee on a towel or something just in case? Really though. Crazy.

Overall, while your father is Canadian and from the looks of this article this does leave you at a great disadvantage to the rest of the world’s population, I trust that my genes will pull you through! Don’t fear!!

Lots of love
mum

ps. enjoy the baclava. I went to Auburn especially for you to get some good stuff….. (it really was for you, I could almost hear your voice asking for some)..

 

Happy 16 weeks! 4 months. OMG its going so fast! Yoga, cookie / biscuit cravings and more. January 9, 2009

Filed under: baby's feelings,birthing,development stages,eating,exercise,pregnancy — rakster @ 12:17 pm
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Hello Speck!

I am feeling horrendous again today.  I think it was the wheatbran I had on my yoghurt for breakfast.  It just gave me a stomach full of gas.  I’m resembling a human drum again.  Unbelievably painful. Erk.

Enough of me.  What of you???  Well, yesterday you were 16 weeks way through your uterus-living phase.  4 months! OMG.  Only 4 weeks to go and we are at 20 weeks which is halfway!  That is crazy.  It seems to be slipping by very quickly now.   According to Kaz this week you are 11.5 cm long. And even more shocking, when I just opened a packet of gas-ease type of things I got in a baby sample bag from the hospital yesterday there was a bit of ruler/paper thing that opened out to show how big you would get each week and it says you’re going to get to 52 cm long when you’re born. That is just horrendous. How the hell do you fit inside my stomach if you’re that big???  It just doesn’t make sense. I’m only 162cm tall, so I just don’t see, even if you are curled-up in foetal position, ball-like, how 52cm of you can possibly fit in any space inside my stomach. Even if my body was different to all other humans and let you start to fill the big chunky spaces in the tops of my thighs. Well, maybe then, if one of your legs went down each of my legs… Enough of that though, that is impossible. You’re just going to have to limit your growth to a more reasonable size. Think of small and round and healthy and happy rather than long and lanky. I am going to look like a beach ball though, aren’t I? No matter what happens.

Apart from your size, this week you are supposed to be growing toenails. Toenails huh? Hopefully you’ll get your dad’s type of toenails and not mine. Mine are misshapen and not suited to women’s shoes at all. Your dad’s are much neater, standard and consistently sized. You should also be getting lanugo (downy hair) starting to grow all over your body. I trust this is happening. Most alien movies I’ve seen the babies and aliens don’t have much body hair, so I guess that if you get this hair I might start to think of you less as an alien and more like a person. Good luck with that too.

I had a big baby day yesterday, in and around working. Your dad and I toured the maternity ward of the hospital here in Sydney that you’re booked into. Hopefully we won’t be using it unless you come early, but best to have an option in case that does happen. Your dad got really excited and looked extremely happy (read grin from ear to ear) whenever we walked past dads holding tiny little bundles walking around the ward. In fact, we didn’t see any new mums, just 5 or so new dads with tiny bundles. I got a bit scared looking at all the medical equipment. The rooms / birthing suites were nice and big with lots of room, but were still pretty boring. Your dad and I agreed that even though there is a spa bath in them, it would be better to hang out at home for as long as possible cause the idea of being in a green room with low ceilings, fluoro lights and lots of medical bits and pieces for hours and hours, even if there is an exercise ball and bean bag, wasn’t that appealing. We might not have that choice depending on what happens, but home sounds more comfy. It was a pretty chilled-out feeling place though compared to other wards I’ve been to in the hospital. All in all, ok.

Next baby thing was that unfortunately we missed out on the ballot for the Natural Birthing centre spot at the RWBH. I think I mentioned that we entered in it before. Anyway, that means that we have to have the baby somewhere else. Which makes the decision we were going to have to consider about private vs public for us. And means that we’re planning to have you at the Mater in Brisvegas, where all your aunts and uncles on my side of the family were born (apart from aunt 2 who was at home). And where I was born. And its close to our house in Brisvegas, so even if there is a traffic jam I think we could walk there if you were on your way. Your dad and I are happy with this – we entered the birthing centre draw so that we had an option or two to consider, but it will work out this way too.

Speaking of jam, I started getting cravings for Jam Drops again yesterday. I notice your numpty grandmother has posted a recipe for me in the comments from last post to you, but its the wrong one. Who makes jam drops with a madeira recipe? I think I can make up the one I made before, so I might just have to do that. It was basically flour, butter, sugar and milk and jam. I’ll give it a go. Strange thing to crave, but there it is. Thanks anyway grandmother. I might try those another time but I’m really after the same thing as last time. Speck you like them, I can tell, otherwise you wouldn’t be making me have cravings.

I didn’t feel you last night / this morning, but pretty sure you got very active during and after yesterday’s very strenuous yoga workout.  First organised antenatal yoga class.  It was quite good – though I think you and I would have struggled had I not gone to yoga classes before and understood a lot of the poses from previous yoga experiences. There were only two other women in the class and they were both 16 weeks and in their first class too. I found myself perhaps not so discretely checking out (read: trying hard not to openly stare at all opportunities) their baby bumps. Mine was I think the least noticeable, though I don’t think the smallest. One of the women was tiny tiny, so her bump, while small, really stood out.

Pregnant Yoga Take One: to me, it felt really different being pregnant and doing some of the poses. I could really tell my centre of gravity was different with you down there. And I was really aware that there was a section of my abdomen area that didn’t stretch or respond to some of the poses in the way it used to. And some bits that are normally really flexible and fine were a little tender (like the groin area, though that could have been from all the cycling and frisbee but it was so pronounced I reckon it is shifting stuff around that area). Another thing I noticed was how sore my feet got afterwards. I really worked out the arches. Could be just ’cause I haven’t done it in so long, but I suspect the additional kgs I’m having to support makes a difference too. It felt really good though. I liked being aware of you down there. My breathing when doing it really moves up and down the spine a bit more and pushes out the abdomen to an exaggerated extent from normal. I guess it will get much harder to breathe as you get bigger. The instructor said that when you’re much bigger you’ll most likely join in on some of the poses and do some kicking and moving of your own, and that if you move around too much or head to one side of the uterus then my balance will be off and it will be hard to hold some of the poses. I look foward to that. Your grandmother was in charge of finding me somewhere local to go in Brisbane from April onwards. Hope she remembered.

Anyway, must run, stuff to do. Thinking of you down there with your toenails and hair.

love mum

 

Back in Sydney – and back into exercise December 31, 2008

Filed under: birthing,exercise,pregnancy — rakster @ 11:15 am
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Hello Little Munchkin Speccie,

I am feeling particularly well today!  Slept well – we are in our own very comfortable bed in Sydney again.   I woke up and felt you having a ‘flutter’ this morning while I attempted to sleep in (but was thwarted by your Dad’s phone ringing.. aagh); then had a relaxed morning of reading my pregnancy books (I left them at home while we were away) for you week 14 and week 15 (’cause that is tomorrow).  Your dad came and did some reading of them with me.  His comments weren’t particularly helpful – like ‘your gums might start bleeding – you’d better floss better every day’ and ‘oooh – vaginal discharge – yuk…  Have you got that yet???… Phew it stinks in this bed’.  In his normal charming manner.   But apart from that, and feeling like a beached whale, I was happy.

And I’m ready to face the new year and going back to work and what not with you in the picture.  I’m not going to study this semester, so hopefully your dad and I will have some time to do some fun stuff together before you come along, and really enjoy living in Sydney over the latter half of summer.  Your dad set my bike up in the living room for me last night so I can get back into pedalling (safely without any cars around) whenever I like from now on – which is exciting.  bike

This morning we also started some pregnancy yoga exercises from Janet Balaskas’ “New Active Birth”…  And they were good!  Your dad read them out aloud and did some with me while I gently tried to stretch different parts of my back, abdomen, legs etc.  All in order to make this whole pregnancy thing more comfortable for me, and to try to make sure you slip out easily when the time comes.  They weren’t particularly crazy – just like regular yoga but concentrating on the pelvis quite a bit.  All in all I felt really good afterwards – after being in the car driving for the past few days things had got a little stiff and the release of the stretches helped.  Hopefully we’ll be able to make time over the next few weeks to work our way through all of the exercises in the book then I can do them on my own each day before work or something like that.  Hope you enjoyed them too?

I gave you a little massage afterwards.  Apparently you can perhaps feel my massaging at this point.  You’re almost 8.5 cm long, which seems big when I look at the size of my stomach.  Yes, its got more solid and bigger, but its not huge.  I just look a bit fat really, unless you know I’m pregnant.  I do feel beached whale-like, but since we’re back home I’m going back to healthier eating and exercising etc…

Must run – off to get ready to go camping tonight for New Years Eve.  We’re off to Cockatoo Island in the middle of the Sydney Harbour where some friends have booked a campsite and we will watch the fireworks herald the new year.

Love you

mum

 

and its nearly only 200 days to go December 4, 2008

Filed under: birthing,family,pregnancy — rakster @ 6:21 pm
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Hello Speck!

Your grandad (Australian) has helpfully pointed out that you are no longer a speck, but for the moment that’s what you remain to us, so speck it is. Well, its nearly only 200 days to go (203 today). It is a long time but close in the same breath.

Your Canadian grandma & grandpa arrived two days ago and our house is noisy, with lots of Canadian accents and yelling going on – all good fun – can you hear it? There is lots of cooking and noise and talking and drinking going on.

Meanwhile, your Dad and I are thinking about where you are going to be born and what to do. We have still got an obstetrician in Sydney, and one that we have yet to meet in Brisbane, but also thinking about other options. There are lots of them. Your Canadian grandma might have a fit if we try to have you at home (as she has already got her two cents in on!), but there are a spectrum of options from something like that to a planned c-section in a private hospital. How do you choose? We have both started reading some birth stories for all kinds of births, and some are nice, some are sad and some are scary. I guess it helps to have some idea of the range of things that can happen and what people choose and why. I’d like to have a midwife that we know and feel comfortable with all the way through the birth, rather than, or in addition to, an obstetrician who is only there for some of the bits. But is that necessary? I don’t know. I guess we just have to work out what we are comfortable with and what is best for you and us.

Anyway, we may be getting ahead of ourselves, though we both think its important we think and talk about it to get used to the idea, and have lots of questions for all the people we will no doubt see about your arrival in the coming weeks and months.

Hope you are happy and healthy down there.
love you
mum

 

chocolate and to wax or not to wax? November 23, 2008

Filed under: birthing,eating,pregnancy — rakster @ 1:45 pm
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Hi Speck,

howsit going down there?  Your dad wants to know if you want to be baptised.  Since we’re not religious, and neither one of us are, to our knowledge, baptised, we’ve decided against it for you.  If you want to later in life, feel free.  Seems a bit premature.  Anyway, I think he was just more interested in throwing water at your head: the next question was “Can I squirt it with a watergun?”.  To which of course the answer is an unqualified yes, however I think he should note that children seem to like waterguns and as you get older you may return the favour.   But not in any religious sense.

The other strange conversation we’ve had today is about the state of my pubic hair when its time to go to hospital.  I have to admit, it was me that made a joke about hair removal when reading the hospital book ’cause it mentioned that you can get a hairdresser who comes to your room – but he then wanted to know if I am going to wax my fanny for when you come out.  Again, I was slightly mystified as to the reason he would ask such a thing – or even think about it – but apparently he is concerned that I might care what the various people who no doubt will see it will think.  Surprising, cause I’m not one to worry about that kind of thing at all! Sorry if I’ve embarrassed you, I guess you mum’s fanny is something no child (nor adult for that matter) really wants to think about for any length of time at all.  It does make you wonder though – do other women worry about the state of their fanny when they go into hospital: to hairy bush or to not?  Or indeed right the way through their pregnancy, all the scans, the OB visits??  Goodness, you could run a sideline business that was affiliated with clinics that specialised in ‘down there hair care’.

Too much.

Other weird hospital things:

  • why 7-10 pairs of underpants? Is this number arbitrary or does it suggest 2-3 changes a day for 2-3 days?  They don’t specify a style – is it nanna-knicker only or can you go with the kath&kim -style g-banger look?
  • camera, games, … jigsaws?    Jigsaws?  Do they mean jigsaw puzzles?  Cause to me a jigsaw is a SAW that you use to cut wood.  Surely they don’t want your dad to perform surgery on me if it all goes pear-shaped?  Urg!.   And if they do mean jigsaw puzzles, who really wants to play jigsaw puzzles after they’ve just had a baby?

Hope you’re well.  And enjoying my chocolate binge from yesterday.  I gave up on healthy eating for the afternoon.  A friend had a hangover and wanted a burger for lunch, but as we strolled along Darling Street looking for a burger joint, Adriano Zumbo’s new chocolate cafe just leapt out at us & we had to go in.  I had a chocolate milkshake for lunch, followed up with a few handmade chocolates that we shared.  Truly to-die for was the violet & *berry (there goes the short-term memory again, it wasn’t blueberry, maybe blackberry??).  Anyway, good.  I am going back another day.  I will miss Adriano when I move back to Brisvegas.  The cakes are to drool over – if you haven’t eaten / been there you MUST look: amazing cakes

and two reviews of the chocolate shop.

Have to run, we are going to buy a new baby book – your dad is almost as obsessed as me, which is fun.

bye!

love you.

get bigger.

mum

 

Happy Week 9! Now you start to swim :) November 20, 2008

Filed under: birthing,development stages,pregnancy — rakster @ 6:38 pm
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Hiya Speck,

I’m lying in bed as I type.  Had to leave work on-time after getting in a bit early and had intended to come home and study but its all too much so I took to bed for a bit of a rest.  Your dad just got home and he is cooking fresh fig and walnut salad.  Yum.

Apparently I had it all wrong last week, and according to my books and the internet, you are only just beginning to swim around this week.   What good were those webbed hands then?  I guess you still have them for a bit more, so do take advantage.  And you are apparently grape-sized, but by next week you’ll be the size of an orange.  Now that is a bit weird.  How do you grow so much in one week?  No wonder I’m tired. Other things happening to you: your tail is disappearing, and your are starting to get your boy/girl bits.  Lucky for you!

The hospital information arrived today. I read it but with a bit of disbelief.  I’m still not really sure that you are coming, and if you are, will I really have to deliver you?  Through my vagina in a hospital?  Oh my god.  The birthing suites sounded private and ok, though.  And apparently your dad should bring togs for the shower.  So I guess we can shower together when you’re fighting your way out.  Its all a bit surreal, I have to say.   Hopefully you’ll be born at the same hospital I was born at, and the one where two of your aunts were born, and your two maternal uncles and cousins too.  Your other aunt was born at home.  I watched when I was 9 years old.  Its still one of my most enduring and exciting memories from my childhood.  And my only real exposure to childbirth.  I remember thinking that your Aunt was going to get her head banged on the bed as she came out: she had a big head with black hair & it was two pushes before she was fully out so she was in mid-air for a while.  I think I have a lot to learn.   Hopefully your dad and I will have fun learning about it and be relaxed about how it happens.   I’d like to think so.

Love & thinking of you

mum