Jenrose
March 6th 05, 10:25 AM
Had a good day today... the midwife came down to visit with me. I got in the
tub for her to palpate my belly--I have very strong ab muscles from all the
coughing I did, and I don't relax easily lying on my back. She said that
checking baby's position with me in the water was MUCH easier than with me
anywhere else--because I relaxed so much she was able to tell that baby is
LOA, and that the funky stuff I feel by my left hip is a shoulder or
possibly a hand behind the neck, but NOT a posterior baby. YAY! Baby amused
us with knee antics over by my right ribs.
I hung out in the tub and we did alternating homeopathic cohoshes for a
couple hours. Figured they'd either do nothing or help get things more
coordinated--I've been having so many bouts of nonproductive contractions
they're driving me batty. The contractions I've had since have been less
painful but more "defined". I didn't really kick into labor with dd until 40
w 2 d, and I found that simply knowing this baby was in a decent starting
position let me relax a lot about labor not starting yet. I was worried that
baby was posterior (dd was) and not dropping into the pelvis due to
position, but if baby's in a good position, I don't have to fuss about that
and can squat, etc. with impunity, figuring that if labor hasn't started,
it's *just* because baby hasn't started it yet, not because baby's not
applied to the cervix properly.
I've still got ankles, am getting 8 hours of sleep per day, cervix (I
checked, not her) is, at my best guess, a couple 2-3 cm dilated or more and
mooshy as heck, baby's head is on the cervix but not pressing very hard, I'm
getting defined contractions but not particularly frequently (better than
before when I would just get vague tighter times that lasted a few minutes,
or hard contractions that lasted 15 seconds, or painless contractions
lasting a minute, etc... everything BUT contractions with a clear start and
end point.) I've still got a good appetite and *GOLLY* food has tasted good
the past couple days. Tonight Dad made a roast beef and I discovered that
roast beef with cocktail onions is *incredibly* tasty. And it's not just
me... most of the rest of the family tried it and agreed. lol! I had a
ham-and-mayo sandwich the other day that tasted so good that I was seriously
wondering if something was wrong with me. Not that ham and mayo shouldn't be
tasty, but it's just ham and mayo, you know? Simple things have been just
tasting *so* good.
DH has been abso-freakin-lutely fantastic the past few days. My pg with dd
was made hideously harder by an unsupportive partner who abandoned me
emotionally at 7 months and was emotionally abusive from about day 2 of my
daughter's life until I finally moved out when she was a few months old. DH
has restored my faith in the male of the species. He's been:
1. Reading the books I give him on parenting, birth, etc.
2. Willing to try on some of the baby slings and learn how to use the cloth
diapers even though he *hates* the idea of changing diapers.
3. Nesting like *CRAZY*...omigod... today he mowed the lawn, cleaned the
kitchen, tidied the front rooms, cleaned out my car AND made me fried
bananas with chocolate sauce. <grin> Wednesday he came home an hour early.
Thursday he came home two hours early. Friday he stayed home entirely and
spent the day doing laundry, cleaning, and babying me through a bout of
nasty prelabor...then mowed my PARENTS' lawn. This is after two weeks ago
scrubbing the bathroom including the <blink> ceiling, cleaning out the
garage and organizing it. Oh... and the cutest... I came out of the bedroom
to find him organizing the tool closet... so that the baby couldn't get to
any tools. The baby who hasn't been born yet and won't be crawling for at
LEAST 6 months. God I love this man. He hoists me out of bed without
complaint, rubs my back and tells me I'm wonderful, all while putting up
with my grumpies.
4. More than for the past few days... since November he's cooked almost half
the meals we've eaten, the rest have been made by my dad or take out. IOW,
he's done every dinner that I would normally have made, except maybe two.
5. He's gotten so adept at finding the "spot" on my back that he now does it
in his sleep.
Anyway, I'm feeling stronger and healthier than I've felt in a long time.
Took a walk last night, even, by choice. Loaded the dishwasher (haven't done
any "work" in the kitchen in 4 months...wanted to see if I could, so that dh
would have one less thing on his "plate" today.) Good thing dh was lying
down when he found out I'd loaded the dishwasher--I think he would have
fallen over in shock...lol!
My sleep schedule is creeping back to "normal"... I'm starting to get tired
at 2 in the morning rather than at 5 am.
Mom and Dad are making the most awesome cosleeper out of pine. 4 feet long
by 18 inches wide. The top "foot" has an insert that turns that part of it
into a bedside table, with shelves so I can have my CPAP and clock there
without baby being able to knock it off or get at it easily. The other 3
feet have a mattress Mom made with high density foam and baby vinyl... very
professional looking, the vinyl fits perfectly, and the mattress is custom
sized to fit the bed and overlap such that there will be no gap between
cosleeper and adult bed. Three "sides"... two of which are slatted rails,
done to crib specs in everything but height because the thing is NOT
designed for unsupervised use. It's mostly to give us a little extra bedroom
and prevent roll-off. Underneath the bed part are two full-length shelves
for storage, so we don't "lose" the space. It's beautiful. Should be done in
the next couple days.
Oh, and a week ago we had a blessingway, don't remember if I posted about
it. But it scratched the "I've never had a baby shower" itch.
We got one of our gifts today... three Wonderoos diaper covers, which are
really cool and work from 8 to 35 pounds, we can stuff them with the cloth
dipes we already have on hand. So a little less sewing I have to do. Plus my
best friend loaned me a dozen newborn velcro wrap covers, which spares
sewing "tiny" stuff.
Mostly, today, I felt more like myself than I've felt in a very, very long
time. Even though I'm still pregnant. How odd is that?
Jenrose
tub for her to palpate my belly--I have very strong ab muscles from all the
coughing I did, and I don't relax easily lying on my back. She said that
checking baby's position with me in the water was MUCH easier than with me
anywhere else--because I relaxed so much she was able to tell that baby is
LOA, and that the funky stuff I feel by my left hip is a shoulder or
possibly a hand behind the neck, but NOT a posterior baby. YAY! Baby amused
us with knee antics over by my right ribs.
I hung out in the tub and we did alternating homeopathic cohoshes for a
couple hours. Figured they'd either do nothing or help get things more
coordinated--I've been having so many bouts of nonproductive contractions
they're driving me batty. The contractions I've had since have been less
painful but more "defined". I didn't really kick into labor with dd until 40
w 2 d, and I found that simply knowing this baby was in a decent starting
position let me relax a lot about labor not starting yet. I was worried that
baby was posterior (dd was) and not dropping into the pelvis due to
position, but if baby's in a good position, I don't have to fuss about that
and can squat, etc. with impunity, figuring that if labor hasn't started,
it's *just* because baby hasn't started it yet, not because baby's not
applied to the cervix properly.
I've still got ankles, am getting 8 hours of sleep per day, cervix (I
checked, not her) is, at my best guess, a couple 2-3 cm dilated or more and
mooshy as heck, baby's head is on the cervix but not pressing very hard, I'm
getting defined contractions but not particularly frequently (better than
before when I would just get vague tighter times that lasted a few minutes,
or hard contractions that lasted 15 seconds, or painless contractions
lasting a minute, etc... everything BUT contractions with a clear start and
end point.) I've still got a good appetite and *GOLLY* food has tasted good
the past couple days. Tonight Dad made a roast beef and I discovered that
roast beef with cocktail onions is *incredibly* tasty. And it's not just
me... most of the rest of the family tried it and agreed. lol! I had a
ham-and-mayo sandwich the other day that tasted so good that I was seriously
wondering if something was wrong with me. Not that ham and mayo shouldn't be
tasty, but it's just ham and mayo, you know? Simple things have been just
tasting *so* good.
DH has been abso-freakin-lutely fantastic the past few days. My pg with dd
was made hideously harder by an unsupportive partner who abandoned me
emotionally at 7 months and was emotionally abusive from about day 2 of my
daughter's life until I finally moved out when she was a few months old. DH
has restored my faith in the male of the species. He's been:
1. Reading the books I give him on parenting, birth, etc.
2. Willing to try on some of the baby slings and learn how to use the cloth
diapers even though he *hates* the idea of changing diapers.
3. Nesting like *CRAZY*...omigod... today he mowed the lawn, cleaned the
kitchen, tidied the front rooms, cleaned out my car AND made me fried
bananas with chocolate sauce. <grin> Wednesday he came home an hour early.
Thursday he came home two hours early. Friday he stayed home entirely and
spent the day doing laundry, cleaning, and babying me through a bout of
nasty prelabor...then mowed my PARENTS' lawn. This is after two weeks ago
scrubbing the bathroom including the <blink> ceiling, cleaning out the
garage and organizing it. Oh... and the cutest... I came out of the bedroom
to find him organizing the tool closet... so that the baby couldn't get to
any tools. The baby who hasn't been born yet and won't be crawling for at
LEAST 6 months. God I love this man. He hoists me out of bed without
complaint, rubs my back and tells me I'm wonderful, all while putting up
with my grumpies.
4. More than for the past few days... since November he's cooked almost half
the meals we've eaten, the rest have been made by my dad or take out. IOW,
he's done every dinner that I would normally have made, except maybe two.
5. He's gotten so adept at finding the "spot" on my back that he now does it
in his sleep.
Anyway, I'm feeling stronger and healthier than I've felt in a long time.
Took a walk last night, even, by choice. Loaded the dishwasher (haven't done
any "work" in the kitchen in 4 months...wanted to see if I could, so that dh
would have one less thing on his "plate" today.) Good thing dh was lying
down when he found out I'd loaded the dishwasher--I think he would have
fallen over in shock...lol!
My sleep schedule is creeping back to "normal"... I'm starting to get tired
at 2 in the morning rather than at 5 am.
Mom and Dad are making the most awesome cosleeper out of pine. 4 feet long
by 18 inches wide. The top "foot" has an insert that turns that part of it
into a bedside table, with shelves so I can have my CPAP and clock there
without baby being able to knock it off or get at it easily. The other 3
feet have a mattress Mom made with high density foam and baby vinyl... very
professional looking, the vinyl fits perfectly, and the mattress is custom
sized to fit the bed and overlap such that there will be no gap between
cosleeper and adult bed. Three "sides"... two of which are slatted rails,
done to crib specs in everything but height because the thing is NOT
designed for unsupervised use. It's mostly to give us a little extra bedroom
and prevent roll-off. Underneath the bed part are two full-length shelves
for storage, so we don't "lose" the space. It's beautiful. Should be done in
the next couple days.
Oh, and a week ago we had a blessingway, don't remember if I posted about
it. But it scratched the "I've never had a baby shower" itch.
We got one of our gifts today... three Wonderoos diaper covers, which are
really cool and work from 8 to 35 pounds, we can stuff them with the cloth
dipes we already have on hand. So a little less sewing I have to do. Plus my
best friend loaned me a dozen newborn velcro wrap covers, which spares
sewing "tiny" stuff.
Mostly, today, I felt more like myself than I've felt in a very, very long
time. Even though I'm still pregnant. How odd is that?
Jenrose