Birth class part 1

We attended the first day of our birth class today. A long 9.30-4.30 session that went through labour, drug options, types of delivery, caesareans, our fears and the infamous DVD we are all warned about! I found it all very interesting and Brett like all the other expectant Dad's there nearly fell asleep.

And against everyone's advice we both watched the DVD. I did give Brett the option to leave the room, as we were warned by many that it can scar a man. And it seemed to scar a few of the women in the class too, but I was actually really enthralled and amazed! I found it incredibly emotional and cried most of the way through it. Bloody hormones strike AGAIN! But I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that I won't get to experience the miracle or pain of natural birth.

The final day is next Sunday, fortunately for Brett no graphic DVD. But he does get to sit through breast feeding and we learn to change nappies and who knows what else!! I'm actually looking forward to it!

Birth plan! Pffft...

I have been reading plenty of books, surfing preggy websites and talking to lots of Mums. So I consider myself pretty well informed as far as preparing for birth and motherhood goes. I mean, you can't ever be truly prepared because every pregnancy, every baby, every Mum and every birth is unique. But I needed to read up on the most common scenarios and have a plan, then be prepared for that plan to fly out the window on the day.

Well my plan was to have a natural, (hopefully drug-free) non medically assisted birth. In theory I was open to that changing on the day but I like to think all this positive visualisation of the perfect birth was going to mean that's the way it would happen. What I didn't expect was the plan to change months before the due date and the choice to be taken out of our hands.

At 22 weeks I was told I have Placenta Previa. It's where the placenta has implanted itself over or very close to the cervix. About 5% of pregnancies are low lying and 0.5% of these (including mine) fully cover the cervix. 90% of such pregnancies will correct themselves with the placenta moving away from the cervix far enough for a vaginal birth, the rest require a caesarean section. Bugger!!

I was devo at first, I had a plan!!!! But then I thought there's still plenty of time for it to move. It can't be that stubborn can it? So until this week I was pretty hopeful the placenta would move, but it was not to be. At my check up Stephen confirmed the placenta was still firmly fixed over the cervix. And on top of that the baby is breach (that's why I feel like I am regularly headbutted in the ribs, cos I have!!) so it's pretty certain I'll be having a caesarean and we are tentatively booked in for 26th March.

So now my plan is simple. To give birth to our baby in the safest possible way so she arrives healthy and without distress.

Hormones strike again!!!

I spent most of yesterday in tears or on the brink of tears.

Poor Chewy got the snip and had his little cherry eye fixed up at the vets. So I spent the day fretting about my poor little pup. Such a big sook, and I always have been but the preggy hormones just magnify everything!! I can only imagine how I am going to be when our baby is sick or has to get a needle.

When I am happy I am deliriously happy, just the mere thought or feeling of our little girl sends me into ecstasy. Then it's the silly little things that put me in tears, like disagreeing over decorations for the nursery or running out of yogurt.

It's all ups & downs when you have torrents of hormones raging through your body! But the little miracle in my belly keeps me calm, focused and positive when I feel things are getting too much. Plus I think the yoga, pre-natal massage & plenty of nana naps are helping too!

Mmmm chocolate

I can't seem to get enough food, all I do is eat all day every day. No wonder I am getting HUGE!! Well that and the fact our baby is growing more and more every day. At almost 30 weeks she is looking very much like a newborn should. Her main focus now is putting on weight and growing and developing her lung function.

Maybe the fact she needs to pork up is why I am also porking up. I eat well - lots of fruit, vegies, chicken/lamb, whole grains, low fat dairy and enough water to sort out the Murray Darling situation. Then there's the chocolate, my goodness so much chocolate. I have always loved chocolate but never had to have it all the time. But now I can't get enough. Luckily I fill up quickly otherwise I would never stop.

For Christmas we received enough chocolate to open our own shop. However most of this chocolate has now been demolished. I'd like to say Brett helped but he really didn't get much of a look in... luckily for me it was mostly Belgian and swiss chocolate which is my fave1 Brett is a cadbury man, so he cleaned up on the Twix & Snickers bars while I demolished boxes of decadent Lindt, Farerro and more.

I guess I have some pretty serious exercise to do after this bub, but for now I am enjoying the ride.

This bed is too soft...

It's not just bub and Chewy that are growing! At 28 weeks my belly is growing faster than my stretchy pants and I can keep up with. And if I keep eating my weight in chocolate each night to to satisfy my cravings there may be no turning back!

I feel like a beached whale at times, especially when I attempt to roll into our bed. In fact I now have my own bed as ours is just too high and too soft for me. Yes I am aware I sound like Goldilocks...

I was keeping Brett up or he would just sleep on the couch as I toss & turn plus get up multiple times throughout the night for the bathroom or to microwave a heat pack for my back. So to give us both a better chance at getting some sleep before bub arrives we made up the spare room as my own. The bed is low, firm and comfortable, it's right next to our bathroom and now my body pillow and I can take up the whole bed. What more can a massive pregnant girl ask for!!

It's not quite the romantic pregnancy I had envisioned for Brett and I. I do miss snuggling Brett to sleep with bub kicking him in the back and I even miss our nightly bickering about who is taking up more room and needs to move over 1/2 a centimeter, however when you are this size and you need a good night sleep you have to do what you can!!