Week of Pregnancy: Week
36… 1 week until full term!
Fruit
to Fetus: Watermelon. We’ve reached watermelon proportions. No
wonder stairs are difficult and I have to wee every hour.
Cravings/Aversions:
Can’t eat anything greasy this week – I think because it just
sits on the top of my stomach and the relaxen hormone makes me want to spew it
back up again. Toast is fine, as is fruit and salad, but no bacon, eggs, meats,
etc. Still loving my muesli.
Kick
Counter: Still the insane kickboxing gymnast that she was last
week. Sometimes it looks like my tummy does a Mexican wave. Also, there is a
foot poking out from underneath my right ribs. It’s not always there, but 80%
of the time, which makes it hard to sit.
Now that Miss Muffin is the size of a watermelon, I felt
like reflecting on how far she has come – and how big she’s grown in such a (relatively)
small space of time – though it feels like forever since we did the test!
It amazes me how little Miss Muffin
got from a seasame seed (above)... to a watermelon!! (A small watermelon -
2.9kgs this week!)
I found when I googled 'baby watermelon' that both cute
and creepy things appear. Guess which one is cute, and which is creepy...
Seriously?! Don't get me wrong -
great GREAT art watermelon carving, but oh my gosh it is creepy. Kind of like
the doll I had to use for the breastfeeding class - more on that later.
So this week I finished up at school
(Well, ‘officially’ I’m finished but I still have all my marking and reporting
to do from home!)and tripped down to the coast for my birthing class! Justin
unfortunately couldn’t make it L So I went solo amongst all the
couples that attend birthing classes. Kind of awkward that I took my mum? I don’t
think so. After all, she’s had two babies with no form of epidural/caesarean etc
– I think she’s pretty qualified J
Little Muffin is currently in a posterior position (Head down, but facing
up, spine next to my spine):
But we want her to end up like this,
in the anterior position (Head down,
facing down with spine against my belly) :
So, basically, if she doesnt turn
around, we can still have a natural birth but, as the lady showed us with a set
of fake hips and a doll, the head doesn't fit as well when baby is facing
upwards.
Also, don't google 'posterior birth' images - just don't.
So, getting back on track, handed in
epidural form, and learned about different stages of labour, ways of managing
pain (ie: Gas, morphine/pethidine, epidural, etc) as well as some natural techniques
such as hot water. No mention of hypnosis though… hmm.
Then watched a birthing video. Let
me tell you, it is still just as scary to watch a baby crown when you are 26,
as to when you were 13 and shown a random video of 70s ‘afro-lady’ crowning in
sex ed.
DON’T DO IT TO YOURSELF! I know you
want to you-tube it, but don’t. You can’t unwatch it.
Fortunately I will be up the other
end and won’t have to watch. Although apparently you can request a mirror.
Um. No thanks, I’m good.
We then learned about breast feeding
for another few hours (very good session, really!) and what to do with a
newborn – what will you need when you go home from the hospital? How can you
prevent SIDS? What are the questions most new mothers ask?
All in all, very informative, very
knowledgeable midwives with lots of experience. Also, they had tasty sandwiches
for lunch. Quite sad Justin missed it, actually!
Sunday mum and I went shopping
(Well, can’t go to the coast – CIVILISATION! – without doing some shopping…)
and I finished my year 11 reports.
Finally, Monday morning Dad and I
did some hypnosis practise for relaxation and labour – Have some fabulous
visualisations to practise, and was reminded that doing proper hypnosis (for 20
minutes) is as good as a few hours sleep! Am feeling much more competent and
comfortable with the hypnobirthing idea, though I am deviating slightly from
their suggested methods and adding some that Dad uses with his patients.
Strangely, at one point I was visualising
myself on a beach, with waves gently surging over my torso, but that ‘fake’ me
on the beach was visualising a flower opening (cervical dilation visualisation)…
INCEPTION!!!!!!!
So anyway – about to hit 37 weeks in
a few days time (HOLY CRAP – Tomorrow actually!) so here’s to hoping Baby
Bechaz doesn’t make an appearance until at least week 38/39, as I am six hours
away from my preferred hospital and Obstetrician!
Lots of love to all – I’m off to
finish marking and reporting and make a ‘clean break’ from Bilo in a few days
time!
xxxxx
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