I have been stubborn, I admit it. My plan is to give birth at home with a midwife. No interventions just me, my baby and my body doing what it is designed for. However, my "beautiful" plan did not include being too sick to interview and choose a midwife in the first trimester, nor did it include a fight with my insurance company. It also did not include a trip to an OB.
So here I am at around 12 weeks, puking my guts up and wishing I were dead, and my husband about to grant me that wish as he is fed up with me not seeing an OB, or midwife for that matter. And you know what he was right. I have always said I will choose to have my pregnancy and birth overseen by the careprovider that I feel can provide the best outcomes for me and the baby. That careprovider is generally speaking a midwife, however, right now I needed some extra help. Super B literally called my old OB and dragged me kicking and screaming into her office.
You would have thought my sweet OB was brandishing a shotgun as she approached me with that sono wand the way I was blubbering and carrying on. It just felt so wrong to be getting a sono, to be naked under a sheet at a place I had not planned on going to this time. Of course then she stuck that wand in and there was my gorgeous baby wiggling away. Tears of another sort started to flow. I can't believe it, I am really pregnant!!!! There is a baby in there! She said the amniotic fluid was OK, so while I need to keep trying to get fluids in, I can avoid a lovely stay at hotel Las Colinas hospital.
She did a short scan, with me trying to keep it shorter. She also did a nuchal thickness test without asking me. At first that made me angry, but it is hard to stay mad when she said it looked great. I would have never gotten that test on my own, I don't do any of the genetic tests with my pregnancies, but ummm, well it is nice to know that for the most part Down Syndrome is not an issue, especially since I am in the magic zone that OB's like to call Advanced Maternal Age (insert scary music). So much for informed consent though.
So onto, the real reason for posting, my nausea vacation. OB wrote me a script for some meds...and I took them. I slept for 12 hours (minus a few quick potty trips) without getting up to puke in the night. I cannot take this drug in the day, since it turns me into a zombie. However, I will be taking nausea vacations every night until I feel better. Do I feel guilty for this. Heck no. LOVE the nausea vacation. Can't wait until tonight when I can pop the next one in.
New goal, midwife hired by 16 weeks.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
my really bad life
So, I am pregnant. You would think I would be thrilled after all the whining I have done the past few years about wanting another baby. Alas, I am not thrilled...at least not now. Instead I am ill. Really ill. Since about 7 weeks pregnant I have been unable to eat or drink normally. I constantly feel I am on the verge of throwing up and about half the time I do. Throwing up brings no relief, just the general unpleasantness that throwing up brings. Food has become my arch enemy, nothing sounds or tastes good and I have to force myself to eat anything.
Drinking is even more antagonizing. Just typing the word water is making me dry heave as I type. My battle with drinking started with just the inability to look at, smell or be around water. I was able to drink grapefruit juice and lemonade though so I stayed hydrated. Those quickly become forbidden and then I tried Gatoraide as I had been able to drink that in previous pregnancies. Nope, one sip and my dream of drinking Gatoraide ended. OJ worked for a while but that too no longer stays down. The only thing I can drink now is mint herb tea and I see that relationship ending soon.
Honestly, I am thinking of going into the ER for fluids. My nose is bleeding constantly due to dryness, my lips are chapped and I can barely swallow b/c my mouth is so dry. Not to mention my blood pressure is obviously low since I can no longer stand without starting to faint. Needless to say, I have not left my bed in weeks except for a few brief outings.
So no, I am not at all pleased to be pregnant. My life is a living hell. I am 11 weeks and 3 days today. I hope I can hang on for a few more weeks....
Drinking is even more antagonizing. Just typing the word water is making me dry heave as I type. My battle with drinking started with just the inability to look at, smell or be around water. I was able to drink grapefruit juice and lemonade though so I stayed hydrated. Those quickly become forbidden and then I tried Gatoraide as I had been able to drink that in previous pregnancies. Nope, one sip and my dream of drinking Gatoraide ended. OJ worked for a while but that too no longer stays down. The only thing I can drink now is mint herb tea and I see that relationship ending soon.
Honestly, I am thinking of going into the ER for fluids. My nose is bleeding constantly due to dryness, my lips are chapped and I can barely swallow b/c my mouth is so dry. Not to mention my blood pressure is obviously low since I can no longer stand without starting to faint. Needless to say, I have not left my bed in weeks except for a few brief outings.
So no, I am not at all pleased to be pregnant. My life is a living hell. I am 11 weeks and 3 days today. I hope I can hang on for a few more weeks....
Friday, February 6, 2009
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Me on the News
Don't know how long this will stay on line, but for now here is me on the news:
and here is my facebook profile pic I used:
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Lovin' the Advent Conspiracy
http://www.adventconspiracy.org/ - Watch this video, it is awesome!
I love the advent conspiracy theme, it encompasses overall what I believe about life. Frugal isn't just about getting a deal, it is about using less and being there more. Consumerism, even when done with super sales and triple coupons, is still consumerism and it doesn't bring happiness.
Our church is pushing this theme this year and I am so thankful for that. The funny thing is that we are supposed to spend less on Christmas and then give half of what we don't spend to a charity of our choice. However, Super B and I already don't spend much on Christmas and there just isn't anything to cut back on in terms of presents etc. So for us the challenge will be to give away more this Christmas in terms of actual cold hard cash. I admit that while I am pretty good about curbing desires to spend money, I don't have a natural propensity to give money away either. As some Christians might phrase it, I don't have the gift of giving. So deciding how and what extra to give this year may be interesting. Of course I would love to give by taking on more pro-bono doula or childbirth class clients and perhaps that will happen. I guess we will bump along until Christmas and see what happens. In the mean time I am loving the Advent Conspiracy!
I love the advent conspiracy theme, it encompasses overall what I believe about life. Frugal isn't just about getting a deal, it is about using less and being there more. Consumerism, even when done with super sales and triple coupons, is still consumerism and it doesn't bring happiness.
Our church is pushing this theme this year and I am so thankful for that. The funny thing is that we are supposed to spend less on Christmas and then give half of what we don't spend to a charity of our choice. However, Super B and I already don't spend much on Christmas and there just isn't anything to cut back on in terms of presents etc. So for us the challenge will be to give away more this Christmas in terms of actual cold hard cash. I admit that while I am pretty good about curbing desires to spend money, I don't have a natural propensity to give money away either. As some Christians might phrase it, I don't have the gift of giving. So deciding how and what extra to give this year may be interesting. Of course I would love to give by taking on more pro-bono doula or childbirth class clients and perhaps that will happen. I guess we will bump along until Christmas and see what happens. In the mean time I am loving the Advent Conspiracy!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Spot/article about doulas on Today show
http://today.%20msnbc.msn.%20com/id/27808452/
Great article, less great TV spot, feel free to read my comment below as to why....
I find it funny that one of the OB's main comments focused on liability. "If something goes wrong, who is liable?" (meaning between the doula, parents or doctor) Liability is definitely an issue at the heart of so many of the problems in maternity care and certainly at the top of most OBs minds. Giving voice to that thought on TV when there are so many other thoughts that could have been expressed really shows just how high up in their thoughts it is. OBs don't want to juggle another liability (and I don't blame them) and since the informational support component that doulas provide can help parents to ask more questions and use their right to informed consent, it can make liability protection seem harder for OBs.
Personally, I didn't think the spot was horrible, just a bit biased to the idea that patients should just "trust their doctor and nurse" rather than becoming informed and advocating for their birth and baby's health. Ideally we could all trust all careproviders, but it is naive to think that they don't have motives that may not match our own. Any doula worth her massage oil should be able to navigate facilitating discussions between care providers and expecting couples so that everyone is heard and options are discussed in a manner that keeps the birth environment calm and positive. The doula should do everything possible to keep her short term relationship with the nurses and OBs harmonious. When everyone is doing their job well, it is not even an issue and a doula and careprovider will mutually benefit one another. We are not natural adversaries, but have actually been hired by the same people as a part of a team.
The newscast also brought up repeatedly how dangerous labor can become at any second which is a message we could use a bit less of I think. I wish the stats that show less c-sections, less interventions and higher satisfaction with birth experiences should definitely have been brought up.
Great article, less great TV spot, feel free to read my comment below as to why....
I find it funny that one of the OB's main comments focused on liability. "If something goes wrong, who is liable?" (meaning between the doula, parents or doctor) Liability is definitely an issue at the heart of so many of the problems in maternity care and certainly at the top of most OBs minds. Giving voice to that thought on TV when there are so many other thoughts that could have been expressed really shows just how high up in their thoughts it is. OBs don't want to juggle another liability (and I don't blame them) and since the informational support component that doulas provide can help parents to ask more questions and use their right to informed consent, it can make liability protection seem harder for OBs.
Personally, I didn't think the spot was horrible, just a bit biased to the idea that patients should just "trust their doctor and nurse" rather than becoming informed and advocating for their birth and baby's health. Ideally we could all trust all careproviders, but it is naive to think that they don't have motives that may not match our own. Any doula worth her massage oil should be able to navigate facilitating discussions between care providers and expecting couples so that everyone is heard and options are discussed in a manner that keeps the birth environment calm and positive. The doula should do everything possible to keep her short term relationship with the nurses and OBs harmonious. When everyone is doing their job well, it is not even an issue and a doula and careprovider will mutually benefit one another. We are not natural adversaries, but have actually been hired by the same people as a part of a team.
The newscast also brought up repeatedly how dangerous labor can become at any second which is a message we could use a bit less of I think. I wish the stats that show less c-sections, less interventions and higher satisfaction with birth experiences should definitely have been brought up.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Get Something Done
Another MOPS article. This week the topic is "Get Something Done". I wrote about babywearing as a practical way to cook, run errands etc. basically as a way to get something done. Here is what I wrote:
We all love to snuggle our little ones, but let’s face it, adults sometimes need to get something done! Lots of devices exist to entertain your child, but sometimes it seems all that makes your little one happy is more of you. Using a baby carrier, or babywearing, is the perfect way to both get something done and to let your child have more of you. Research has shown the benefits of babywearing to include:
Babies cry less. Carried babies cry 43% less overall and 54% less during the evening hours.
Good for baby's mental development. Babies spend more time in a "quiet, alert state" when carried - the ideal state for learning. When carried, a baby sees the world from where you do and the extra stimulation benefits brain development.
Good for baby's emotional development. Babies are quickly able to develop security and trust when they are carried and may become independent earlier.
Moms (and dads) report these practical benefits to babywearing:
Do housework, run errands or cook dinner all while keeping your child happy
Breastfeed hands-free while on the phone or shopping
No need to lug around a heavy car seat or stroller
Most baby carriers fit in your diaper bag so are easy to transport
Saves $ and the environment because less baby products are needed
These days there are so many cute baby carriers that a sling or wrap is not only very practical, but it can also make a hip fashion statement. Babywearing is not just for babies either; I still wear my 30lb toddler!
For resources on buying or using baby carriers:peppermint.com or thebabywearer.com
We all love to snuggle our little ones, but let’s face it, adults sometimes need to get something done! Lots of devices exist to entertain your child, but sometimes it seems all that makes your little one happy is more of you. Using a baby carrier, or babywearing, is the perfect way to both get something done and to let your child have more of you. Research has shown the benefits of babywearing to include:
Babies cry less. Carried babies cry 43% less overall and 54% less during the evening hours.
Good for baby's mental development. Babies spend more time in a "quiet, alert state" when carried - the ideal state for learning. When carried, a baby sees the world from where you do and the extra stimulation benefits brain development.
Good for baby's emotional development. Babies are quickly able to develop security and trust when they are carried and may become independent earlier.
Moms (and dads) report these practical benefits to babywearing:
Do housework, run errands or cook dinner all while keeping your child happy
Breastfeed hands-free while on the phone or shopping
No need to lug around a heavy car seat or stroller
Most baby carriers fit in your diaper bag so are easy to transport
Saves $ and the environment because less baby products are needed
These days there are so many cute baby carriers that a sling or wrap is not only very practical, but it can also make a hip fashion statement. Babywearing is not just for babies either; I still wear my 30lb toddler!
For resources on buying or using baby carriers:peppermint.com or thebabywearer.com
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