(from Tuesday, 11/23) This past weekend, Chad and I took a babymoon to LAS VEGAS.
Yes, at 34 weeks pregnant, I took a six-hour flight to Nevada and I had an
AMAZING time. A good friend of ours was getting married and it was the perfect
excuse to take a trip. Chad has always wanted to go to Las Vegas and it was on
his bucket list to complete before we had kids. Check!
We went with Melissa and Zack and I can honestly say… we had
a great time. We enjoyed shows, gambling, exhibits, food, a wedding/reception and
LOTS of walking. It was a great opportunity for Chad and I to be frivolous and
delightfully selfish one last time before the baby comes into our lives. It is
not that I think that Chad and I will never have the opportunity to be crazy or
frivolous again, but it is going to be a long time and after MEM makes an
appearance, we both know how much things will change, well at least as much as
we can expect.
For the most part, my growing body handled the trip well
with the exception of the flights. Per doctor’s orders, I was supposed to get
up and walk around as much as possible to avoid swelling and blood clots
(something pregnant women can be more susceptible too during pregnancy). The
first leg of our departure flight was short and I did not need to get up really
but after the second flight, my calves looked like tree trunks by the time I
got off of the plane and they were slightly numb. I don’t think I drank enough
water or got up enough. Luckily after walking for a few hours and elevating my
legs, everything seemed to clear up until we flew home. But a day later and my
legs have returned to their normal chubbiness. Other than the swelling, I had
some hip and sciatica pain throughout the trip but it is all good. It felt
great to walk so much!
Chad seemed to have a burst of energy when we got home
yesterday (me not so much, I nodded off on the couch for the afternoon/evening)
and painted the nursery. The color is a lot darker than we expected but still
within the same color family as the canvas print that we are basing the room’s
décor. He was getting very frustrated with the number of coats he had to paint,
but I think that is an unfortunate fact of using a dark color… there is no
hiding unevenness or missed spots. It also does not help that I am a control
freak. The nursery furniture was also delivered! I am so excited to see how it
all looks put together in the room – it will be fun to play with all of the
configurations. Picture to come.
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| Prepping the room |
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| First coat of paint - I think this is the only layer that matched the paint |
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| After |
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| So not the blue we expected but I still love the color |
I would like to think that I have done a lot of research to
this point about preparing for labor, the stages of labor and what to expect on
the day(s) that I reach that point. With that research, Chad and I decided to
attempt a natural birth. We came to this decision based on a number of reasons.
Taking this path does not mean that I have judgment against women who use pain
management (who knows, I may be one of them… it would be hard to say with a
straight face that I am ready to take an epidural off the table completely). I
know that statically, my chances of a completely natural birth are low,
especially since I have chosen to check into a hospital for my birth. A
hospital can mean increased monitoring, rules and more options for intervention
suggested throughout labor. These are facts that I have come across via
research, conversations with my doctor, a hospital course; I have accepted
these facts as I would prefer to have the baby in a hospital versus a birthing
center (not much an option in my immediate area) or at home (my house is a
mess… my baby would come out and be automatically covered with pet hair since I
can’t keep it in control).
With a natural birth as our goal, Chad and I are taking a
few steps to set us up for the best possible outcome but we also understand
that we need to keep an open/flexible mind throughout the delivery process –
not everything will go perfectly along with our birthing plan. Letting go of
control is difficult for me but have to realize that I can’t control all of the
things my body will do during labor/delivery. We have hired a doula to support
Chad and I throughout the labor – Stacey is awesome and I am really coming to
trust and appreciate her expertise. She will be on hand throughout my labor,
during the delivery and following the birth to help us and answer questions. This
will be very important when we start getting information from the nurses or
doctors that we don’t quite understand. Sometimes they all get busy (completely
understandable), so having Stacey there to help us understand what is going in
what could be a hectic situation will be a huge help. I am hoping that we will be able to make more informed decisions about what we are offered during birth if things don't go according to plan because she is able to explain things to us. I will also have my
mother there – in her previous life, she was a post-partum nurse, and she is
very knowledgeable. Stacey is also going to attempt a number of natural
techniques to help me through labor pain and most importantly, she will be
helping Chad, help me, as he is my official birthing coach. I am taking a
prenatal yoga class twice a week to help with my breathing, muscle strength and
flexibility, all useful during labor and delivery. Stacey is also the class’s
teacher giving us even more time to get more comfortable with one another. We
make an attempt to get together every few weeks for lunch or coffee, just to
catch up one on one.
Since natural births are so uncommon at this point, I guess
I should not be terribly surprised with the number of judgmental snickers I get
when I share our birth plan. But it is frustrating since I have tried to stay
so non-judgmental about other’s choices that I don’t necessarily agree with.
While I understand people may not understand our choice to move forward the way
we have chosen, I wish they would ask me why
before passing judgment or assuming I can’t do something.
34 weeks and 2 days along.
