General update

By kate on January 29th, 2006

I’ve started taking a weekly pre-natal yoga class at Whole Life Yoga in Greenwood. I usually prefer exercise that is more strenuous and goal-focused (such as soccer and aerial), but I thought that during pregnancy when I have less energy, yoga would be a better workout. It is a decent workout, so I’ll keep up with it for the next 6 weeks or so, but it’s still yoga and I still don’t really enjoy it very much. The best part about it is that it’s scheduled and paid-for, which ensures I’ll go. It’s also nice to be in a group of pregnant women, especially ones who are less flexible than me. 🙂

Aside from yoga and using the elliptical machine once or twice a week, I’m doing childbirth-preparation exercises daily, as recommended in our childbirth class. These include squatting, cat stretches, Kegel exercises, and perineal massage (with Steve’s help). I’ve been pretty good about doing this stuff most days so far.

Our childbirth class is going well. Each class has the same structure: introductory chat about how we’re doing, a lesson, a video, a break and snack, and labor practice. Last week we started on some breathing techniques. I was a little worried about being instructed to do deep breathing, because to me deep breathing feels like not having enough air (a result of my asthma). Surprisingly, though, the focus was more on the pace of breathing rather than the depth, and I never got that nervous feeling or hyperventilated.

We’ve begun to have midwife appointments every two weeks (instead of monthly). After one or two more, they’ll become weekly until birth. Two of those upcoming appointments will be home visits (one from each midwife), which will help them ensure they know how to find our house (just in case) and discuss any questions we have about our home environment.

My energy level is weakening somewhat. I’ve been having very busy and stressful workdays, and by the end of them I’m exhausted. We’ve hired someone else on our team who starts full-time on Monday, and that should help the pace. In any case, though, I’m starting to take it easier and take more time for resting.

All in all, though, I still feel like I’m having an easy pregnancy, relative to most women (or the ones I hear about, at least). My overall feeling is that things are okay, and I’m managing the small issues.

Filed under: active, pregnancy | Comment now »

What falls on the floor, stays on the floor

By kate on January 29th, 2006

I’m at that point in pregnancy where bending over is uncomfortable to impossible (depending on Zippy’s position and what I’ve eaten). Sometimes I make such a huffy puffery putting on my shoes that Steve comes over and ties them for me.

My worst pregnancy complication at the moment, though, is the hand and wrist pain. I’ve got a textbook case of pregnancy-related carpal tunnel syndrome which has been worsening over the past week or so*. I bought two brand-new wrist braces to replace my ancient ones, and they’re comfortable enough to wear overnight. Since I started doing that, I haven’t had the numbness and tingling in the morning. Throughout the rest of the day, I put on one or both braces as needed, and take them off to let my skin rest. I feel like it’s somewhat under control, although it’s still aggravating.

Combine the discomfort of bending over with hands made clumsy by pregnancy hormones and wrist braces, and you get someone who is more likely to just leave things on the floor rather than bother to pick up yet another fumbled item.

* Despite the association most people have between computer use and carpal tunnel syndrome, I’m certain that mine is not caused by too much typing. If that were the case, I’d have developed it years ago. I haven’t been typing as much lately as I have in the past, either. Also, as I said before, my mom got the same problem when she was pregnant, well before computers.

Filed under: pregnancy | Comment now »

Baby Names

By kate on January 27th, 2006

Here’s a humorous list of baby names from McSweeney’s. I particularly like “Stevelyn”.

I’ve been too busy to post anything lately, but there isn’t much news. I’m coping with some nerve issues in my wrist (pregnancy-related carpal tunnel), which wasn’t really a surprise because my mom got the same thing. Otherwise, there’s not too much to report.

Filed under: Links, pregnancy | Comment now »

Thoughts after first birthing class

By kate on January 18th, 2006

We attended our first (of six) birthing classes tonight, at the home of our instructor, Penny Simkin. She’s been a childbirth educator for almost forty years, taught almost ten thousand women/couples, and literally wrote the book on it all. We got a copy of that book, as well as a book she wrote for birth partners, as part of the class. There were eight couples total in the class; all were man/woman pairs ranging from about 25 to 35 (I’d guess).

When we went around the room introducing ourselves, I was surprised to find that many of them have an earlier due date than me (by weeks), and yet I had the biggest belly in the room. I was hoping that being in a group of other pregnant women would make me feel less self-conscious and huge, but disappointingly, it didn’t.

The class was good, though, and we’re looking forward to the rest. Penny is very knowledgeable and experienced, and yet doesn’t have a rigid method of doing things. She’s tuned into what makes each woman’s birth different, and encouraged us to find what works for us. Among other things, we learned about the anatomy of the pelvis (and how squatting can help to open it), and watched a video of a birth. It was interesting to watch the video, and I’m looking forward to seeing more, since I haven’t witnessed a birth myself. All the births you see in TV and movies are a stereotypical screaming woman in stirrups at a hospital, which will probably not be the same as my experience.

One of the surprising things from the video was that the woman had chosen not to “push”. Apparently, the uterus is pushing on its own already, and the woman doesn’t necessarily have to. Many women have an irresistible instinct to push, but not all. Not pushing can make the labor take longer, but can also prevent injury and tears by giving the tissues time to stretch.

We both have homework this week – reading some chapters in our respective books. I’m also supposed to practice squatting and do cat stretches.

Filed under: learning, pregnancy | Comment now »

Hello from Portland

By kate on January 15th, 2006

Steve and I are enjoying a fun weekend in Portland. We’re staying at the Hotel Vintage Plaza, in one of their “starlight rooms”. The room has a 45-degree window that gives a view of the sky (for most patrons) or the skyscraper across the street (in our case). The room is decorated with a classy, modern star theme (picture).

We attended what may be our last rock show for a while, and Zippy’s first: a performance of Seattle band “Awesome”, which was great. We spent yesterday walking around, shopping in home decor stores and thinking about how we want to decorate the basement. A relaxing late afternoon followed an ill-advised greasy Chinese lunch, and then we went out for a fancy dinner. Today’s plan: check out of the hotel and spend most of our time at the world-famous Powell’s.

On the pregnancy front, I’ve started experiencing spontaneous Braxton Hicks contractions. I had a few yesterday. These are normal and don’t hurt; they’re kind of the uterus’s way of practicing for labor. They’re so non-intrusive that many times it’s Steve who notices that one is happening (with his hands).

Our midwife appointment on Wednesday was pretty non-eventful, since I’m not having much in the way of complications. One good bit of news is that she confirmed that Zippy has aligned herself head-down, and is not likely to change. This is good! Also, my urine did not contain any sugar, which was a nice result to get after my brush with GD.

Finally, our childbirth classes start on Tuesday (and run for 6 weeks). We’re looking forward to learning more about labor and birth – it’s getting close.

Filed under: pregnancy, travel | Comment now »

General pregnancy update

By kate on January 10th, 2006

Our house is going through lots of changes! We’ve begun the basement renovations (you can read Steve’s renovation blog here). This weekend, we were without heat because our gas was off, so we decided it would be a good time to spend our Sunday moving furniture around (to keep warm, don’t ya know). After I geeked out in Visio for a while, we came up with new layouts for our main floor that leave room for baby stuff. Our bedroom and living room are pretty much done, and we’re especially enjoying our new bedroom arrangement, which somehow seems roomier despite the additional bookcase.

Speaking of baby stuff, we’re finally starting to get some free loans and hand-me-downs, which is great. We got a bathtub, play mat, and bouncing seat from a woman I work with. We’ll be borrowing an infant car seat from my brother, and a “sidecar” (for sleeping) from an old colleague. I’m delighted to borrow everything we can, and pass it all on (or back) afterwards.

We have our next midwife appointment this Wednesday, after which we’ll start going at two-week intervals.

This weekend, we’re having a last child-free fling in Portland. The mini-vacation was supposed to be a surprise from Steve but I accidentally (sadly) found out about it. We’re taking the train down (which is exciting in itself) and planning to enjoy some shopping and fine food.

I had a fun shopping trip for maternity clothes with my Mom and Nicole last week. After watching my wardrobe dwindle to a handful of shirts and pants, I now have a more reasonable selection of clothes, including shirts that are not t-shirts. It makes a surprising difference. I even have a new fancy dress to wear out to dinner in Portland.

As far as the pregnancy itself, I don’t have much to report. Things are still going fine. Zippy continues to grow and move, and has developed a new habit of sticking body parts up under my ribs (not comfortable!). I can usually get her to stop it by stretching my torso to give her more room in the abdomen where she belongs. My belly is now definitely so big that it interferes with my ability to do some things, like carry laundry baskets across my front and wash dishes. At work, I’ve actually started doing more lifting and carrying than I used to, because we let someone go and I’m doing his job until we hire a new person. It’s OK so far.

Being pregnant in the winter is like having a super power. Throughout a weekend with no heat, while Steve was continually checking the thermostat as temperatures dropped to the low 50s, I was generally comfortable and never really cold. I’ve dispensed with my winter coats (even the ones that still fit) in favor of a sweater and thin rainproof shell. It gives me a little something to feel superior about.

We start our childbirth classes next week, and I’m now at the point where it feels like it’s time to learn about labor (before, it seemed far away). I’m looking forward to what we’ll learn as well as meeting other expectant parents.