Pregnancy.. teaching lessons

This pregnancy has been a huge teacher. From the very beggining being told I was miscarrying, to being told I have a low lying placenta at 20 weeks and might need a c section at a hosptial, to no more low laying placenta and can have my water birth at the birth center at 27 weeks, to having a major bleed at 33 weeks, to having to leave the birth center and transfer to the hosptial, to bed rest, to no bed rest, to more bleeding, to more bed rest....

Lessons learned: patience, go with the flow, being still

patience (definition: the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.)
oh patience. Something I have been working on for years. My husband is so so patient and is good reminder and example of a quality I would like to embody more. I can get impateint with my dogs, husband, driving, holding a yoga posture... I have journeled and even themed in a yoga class before that the things that stir up impatience in us can be an oppurtunity to cultivate patience during. I think of this (sometimes) when I am driving behind someone going really slow, when the teacher is encouragin me to hold a long pose, when the dogs dont listen to me... So can I practice what I preach and practice patience during pregnancy.

go with the flow: Wow has this been a big one and something I have been trying to work on for the past 2 years. Of being less attached to Kim's plans and instead turning my will over to Grace. I use the third step prayer daily:

God (Universe, Grace),

I offer myself to Thee

To build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt.

Relieve me of the bondage of self, so that I may better do thy will.

Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness

to those I would help of Thy power, Thy love and Thy way of life.

May I do Thy will always.

But as much as I try to turn it over. I still make plans and get attached to them. With this pregnancy my plan was it would go smoothly, that I would have a comfortable, awesome, natural, uncomplicated water birth at the birth center. That I would be able to do massages and teach yoga until I went into labor. That I could go on hikes, swim, and practice yoga until I went into labor. But thats not what happened. Its a good lesson to learn before the baby comes. I am sure as a parent I am going to have to put my wants and plans aside for what my baby/ family wants or needs.

 

 

Being still: I tend to go go go like the energizer bunny. I take time to sit and be still in meditation for 20 mins morning and night (most days) but other then that I am doing something. Being on bed rest I am barely allowed to make my own sandwhich or walk up the stairs. Being still allows to to be present in the moment instead of rushing around. It gives me a chance to get clear with my feeling and time to face my fears. 

31 Weeks Pregnant!

31 WEEKS PREGNANT!!!

FEEL SO BLESSED TO BE CARING THIS LITTLE BOY INSIDE OF ME :)

He has his daddy's nose!

what cute full, chubby checks!

I want to hold you baby boy!

Trying to suck his hand. He was constantly trying to put his finger and his feet in his mouth to suck on!

So handsome!

All that white is hair! The tech said that he has a lot more hair then average! Maybe that explains the heart burn I'm getting. (Its an old wives tale hairy baby = heart burn)

That's the umbilical cord.

I cant wait to squeeze these little feet!

Sucking his thumb. Look at those little knuckles.

31 weeks 5 days at the gym after teaching a yoga class

31 weeks 6 days. At a friends bachelorette party we went bar hoping and to a strip club! It was especially funny being there pregnant.

Baby Size? COCONUT!

Baby development? This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3 1/3 pounds (about the size of a coconut) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy. (babycenter.com)

Gender? BOY

Sleep? I am starting to have a harder time falling a sleep but once I am a sleep I am out. The problem is when I wake up (like to pee) it takes me a really long time to go back to sleep.

Food Cravings? Peanut butter and yellow mustard (not together).

What I miss? feeling comfortable.

What I am loved this week? This week we got a 3d/4d ultra sound! (Pictures above). It was amazing. He was so active during the scan. The pictures we got were the few times he didn't have a foot, hand or umbilical cord in his face or in his mouth. It was so much fun to put a face to this little creature moving inside my belly I often imagine about holding my baby and think about what he will look like and this helped feel in some of the gaps. People say he has my lips and I think he has Tyler's nose and a head of hair like his dad had at birth. Some things I still wonder about include what color his skin will be. I am very white and my husband is very olive tan. I also wonder what color hair he will have. I have reddish blond hair and his papa has black back hair. I thought getting the scan would give me a little "fix" to tie me over for the next 8 weeks until I get to see him in real life. Unfortunately it makes me want to see him and hold him even more.

This week my nesting, stressed out impatient yet exhausted hormones have been kicking in. I get so tired I will sit or lay down and in my head I will be forming a list of all these things I want to get done before the baby gets here. Also at the moment the house cant be clean enough. I will clean clean clean and the next day it looks like a mess to me and I will start cleaning again. Such a weird drive to have every piece of dust swept up and smudge marks wiped off. I am trying to remind myself that I will always have a list of things I want done and that really we are quite prepared. The main things that need to happen are get diapers and I would also like the blinds hung in the nursery for some privacy. Everything else like the book shelf, moving our bed room up stairs, getting the kitchen tile floor replaced, fixing the upstairs bathroom... (oh i am getting stressed just thinking about the list) but really these can wait til after the baby comes. Its not like I will be the one doing them any way. Its my "honey's to do list". Another nesting urge for me is getting my craft and sewing skills on. I have made more burp cloths, diaper changing clutch and now getting ready to make some wash cloths.

Movement? Definitely.

Symptoms? Heartburn. Uncomfortable, leg cramps, tight muscles, headaches, frequent trips to pee, exhaustion, back pain, emotional, headaches, impatient…

Exercise? Main exercises of the week were elliptical, swimming and yoga.

Yoga? Yes. I practiced 5x a week. It feels good to move and I am loving that I am being drawn the the mat. My poses are getting more and more modified as time goes on.

Meditation? Yes daily.

Appointments? Midwife appointment on Monday!

29 Weeks Pregnant

WEEK 29

Size of baby? Butternut Squash

This week’s major developments? Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (about the size of a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.

29 weeks and 3 days after a yummy prenatal massage

29 weeks 5 days. Practicing Yoga and stretching my tight calves.

Gender? BOY

Sleep? I can definitely tell I have hit the third trimester. For the life of me I cannot get comfortable even with 10 pills places all around me. I am basically sleeping in a cocoon of pillows which should feel terrific but after 3 minutes body parts start to hurt, cramp up, or I just get twitchy from being so uncomfortable. Funny story. The other night I woke up at 5am and felt around for Tyler and he wasn’t there!! I was furious. I thought he either fell asleep in the TV room or worse left me to sleep on the couch. I managed to push myself out of bed and went looking for him. When I couldn’t find him I yelled out his name and he responded. He was in bedroom! Turn out I had all my pillows placed over him so when I felt for him I just felt the pillows on top. Oh boy this still makes me crack up with laughter.

Food Cravings? Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches, Saltines. I have been having a midnight snack PB&J almost every night this week. It seems to help with the heartburn.

What I miss? Sleeping comfortably. Not always having something hurting.

What I am loving? I can’t believe we will be meeting this little man in 2 and a half ish months. I am just so excited to hold him in my arms. Thinking about the future has been one thing I love about pregnancy. However I know and I tell my students that when we think of the future (or the past) we miss out on the present. I am trying to enjoy every moment of this pregnancy. Even when it is painful and uncomfortable. This pregnancy is a finite experience. I will never get to hold this baby inside of me again. So I am savoring every moment whether it be joyful or painful. I feel so lucky that I get these 9 months to bond and be with this baby. I know Tyler is a little jealous of that. I am also loving teaching yoga. My classes are continuing to grow and I feel like I am connecting well with the students.

Movement? Yes it is amazing. Baby is getting bigger and bigger. Now you can see my whole belly move as the baby shifts around.

Symptoms? Heart burn. Uncomfortable, leg cramps, tight muscles, headaches, nausea (oh yes this lovely gem is back in my life), frequent trips to pee, super hungry but a small stomach so I can’t eat too much at once, either exhausted or have tons of energy (which is short lived and then am exhausted again)…

Exercise? Elliptical, swimming, yoga, and light weights. Probably exercised 5x this week.

Yoga? Like I reported last week I have been LOVING YOGA!!! In the beginning of pregnancy I was too sick to practice and then second trimester I would practice to bring some relief to my body but I would somewhat have to force myself to the mat and I didn’t make it to my mat that frequently. But now I am loving yoga. I am wanting to be on my mat all the time. I am practicing at least every day sometimes twice a day. Normal practices for me these days are about 30 minutes. But it feels so good to move in my body and connect with my baby. I also had a realization that it is going to be a lot harder to make time to practice with a newborn and I was a little sad as I connected those dots so I am really trying to take advantage of getting as much mat time as I can now.

Meditation? Yes daily.

Affirmation? I have been doing a lot of affirmations when I swim. Here are some of them:

·         My placenta is high

·         I will have an easy, healthy, safe birth at the birth center

·         I trust in my body’s ability to give birth

·         My baby is healthy and happy

·         Not an affirmation but I have been setting a daily intention this week of: I will not judge myself today. I will walk in gratitude today. I will see the world today the way I want my baby to see the world. I will see the goodness, the generosity and the support that this beautiful life has to offer me.

Upcoming? We have a midwife appointment on Thursday. Can’t wait for her to tell me what position she thinks the baby is in. I keep guessing what part of the baby’s body is sticking out of my stomach I am curious if I am right or totally off. I also have a chiropractor appointment on Wednesday. I have never been to a chiropractor but my doula suggested this one. She thinks it will help my back pain and it will let me form a relationship with one of these doctors so I can get a readjustment when I am in early labor. My doula says it makes such a difference in her clients when there body is aligned for birth and that is what these chiropractors specialize in. I am also really interested in getting the baby adjusted in his early arrival to life and these chiropractors also do newborn adjustments.

28 Weeks Pregnant

Month 7 ~ Week 28 ~ Third Trimester

I didn't get ANY shots of me this week. My friend did take pictures at the baby shower so I will post some of those soon.

Baby is the size of? Eggplant

Baby’s development? By this week, your baby weighs 2 1/4 pounds (about the size of a large eggplant) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world. (babycenter.com)

Gender? Still a boy!

Food cravings? Yellow Mustard.

What I miss? mmm life certainly is different but I am currently feeling so grateful for the experience of growing this little boy inside me. I cant think of anything I would rather be doing.

What I love? Feeling baby move + the baby shower!

Movement? Yes!!

Highlights of the week?

• BABY SHOWER! Our baby shower was on Sunday! It took a lot of work getting the house clean and hosting 60 people but it was so fun. So much excitement and joy at the party. So much fun and good memories made. It was so good to see so many good friends and family. Not to mention baby boy got spoiled with gifts. We ran out of time and weren't able to open the gifts, I was having to much fun mingling so we took pictures of us ooowwwing and ahhhing at all the gifts we are so grateful for and I will be posting a blog post soon so guest can check out what we got.
• An hour before the baby shower I tried to take a nap and Tyler surprised me and came down and snuggled with me. It was really special. At night after the shower and opening the gifts we also just layed in bed together and talked about the future and the love we have for our growing family. It was a wonderful day I will never forget.
• We took our first childbirth class on Saturday. We are taking a Hypnobabies class. One of the reasons I am so grateful about this method of birthing class is how excited I am for my birthing time and the birth of my baby. I talk to friends who are pregnant doing a different childbirth class and with a different plan and many of them are terrified for the birth and want to be pumped with drugs. Each of us is different and we all get to choose the experience we want and I might change my mind at some point but right now I am so excited for the experience me and Tyler will have welcoming our baby into the world. It was really nice to share the childbirth class experience with Tyler.

 

Symptoms? Swollen hands and feet, heart burn, cramps in calf's, tight muscles (back, outer hips, calf's) tired, emotional, getting a little short of breath (my OM chant is getting shorter and shorter and it is impossible to blow up a balloon).

Exercise? I practice yoga 5x this week for 30-60 minutes. It has felt so good. I have noticed I have to more adjustments these days, for example really wide feet in uttansana and tadasana. I also did the elliptical 3x a week for 30 mins and made it to the pool for laps 1x. It does feel good to more my body. Current favorite movement to do is bend my knees place my hands on my hips and do big hip circles. I look like a food but it feels so good in my hips and low back.

Mediation? Yes. It has been helping me stay calm and connect with my body and my baby.

Appointments? I had a ultra sound yesterday and y placenta is still low and I will need another ultra sound in 6 weeks to check on the placement. Fingers crossed it moves up and I can have the natural vaginal birth at the birth center like I want and not get transferred to the hospital. However what is more important then what I planed is having a healthy baby. I have a midwife appointment on Thursday now I will be seeing the midwife every three weeks instead of every four weeks. very exciting!

Upcoming events? We just completed the month of events! I feel like I can relax more. We do have child prep (hypnobabies) classes for the next 6 weeks.

Week 13: Second Trimester

 Month 4!

 Week 13

 

Size of Baby ?     Kiwi

This week's major developments: Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head — which makes up just a third of her body size now. If you're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Your baby is almost 3 inches long (babycenter.com)

Gender? we made an appointment for Tuesday to get an early gender scan. I feel like there is a ping pong game going on in my head I go back and forth between wanting a girl or wanting a boy. I currently I am leaning toward a boy. But will be really happy to just have a healthy baby.

Sleep? I have been getting really sick at night. I lay in bed from 10-6 running between bed and bathroom to dry heave. No fun for me or my sweet hubby I try not to wake.

Food Cravings? Breakfast food. the best thing I ate this week was a egg, cheese, ham sandwich. YUM

What I Miss? Not being so sick

What I am loving? I am loving the warmer weather and taking the dogs on hikes with Tyler when I am not to sick.

Movement? Not yet. But I am eagerly anticipating being able to feel this little monkey inside of me.

Symptoms? nausea, insomnia, food craving, exhaustion, heart burn

Best Moment of the Week? Tyler's dad had a Cinco De Myo party at his house and it was really fun being around family. I even made myself a virgin margarita.

Exercise? I lifted weights probably 3x this week and I have been going on walks.

Yoga? I did a nice hanumanasana (splits) practice at my house one day and a gentle hip opener practice another day which was nice. Easing back into it.

Affirmations? "Being sick means baby is healthy"

Maternity Clothes? I plan on buying maternity shorts and some bigger yoga pants and some tank tops this weekend

Appointments? Gender appointment on Tuesday, midwife appointment on Wednesday!