Trimesters

Posted by Liz Hodes on March 9, 2012

Our Perfectly Uneventful Ultrasound

This week, we had our anatomy ultrasound.  My husband and I both pretended as if we were most concerned about whether we’d be able to find out the baby’s sex, but that couldn’t have been further from the truth. As the day of the ultrasound approached, we were both thinking more and more about the 20 week scan with our now three-year-old son — our beautiful, smart, perfectly healthy son — when we left with more questions than answers, appointments for follow-up testing and the terrifying fear that our baby boy’s brain was not developing properly.  We were thinking about all the ultrasounds that followed, when we held our breath and hoped for confirmation that our boy was healthy, confirmation that we finally, thankfully received when he was born and in the months that followed, when he hit all of his developmental milestones on time or ahead of schedule.  (more…)

Posted by Christiane Williams on March 2, 2012

Preparing My Body For Labor

In the back of the pregnancy journal I kept for my first child is a check list for all the things I did daily to prepare my body for labor! Every day for the last 4 weeks I did: a 45 min walk, 200 Kegels, 240 pelvic rocks, 20 min tailor sitting, 30 min relaxation and a perineal massage!

Wow. That seems like a lot in retrospect, but I was also rewarded with a quick 7 hour labor, no tears and a smooth recovery! For the second pregnancy, I tampered it down a bit and now – this is No 3 – I simply don’t have time to do it all… However, I still want to prepare my body for laboring (after an 8 year gap) the best I can, so here is an overview of all the things that will hopefully help me achieve a natural birth with a smooth recovery again! (Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional, this is entirely my opinion formed by research and taking into account experiences of myself and friends).

Physical Preparation:

Other than general fitness (achieved by daily walks), there are specific things you can do to strengthen you pelvic floor, which will help during labor as well as with recovery and avoiding incontinence after birth. Kegel exercises (simple pulses, longer holds and three-staged “elevator” holds), pelvic rocks / tilts (cat stretches on all fours, pulsing and holding) as well as squatting (increasingly longer periods if possible) and tailor sitting (bottom of feet together, stretching not bouncing, with a straight back) are all very beneficial and can be done while watching TV! In order for me not to forget the Kegels, I try to do some at every red light while driving and during my sons’ daily violin practice! A prenatal Yoga class often incorporates may of these beneficial moves as well as relaxation techniques.

I am convinced that the main reason I never tore giving birth was the diligence with which I prepared my perineum by stretching and massaging. This is not everybody’s cup of tea, but if you can muster the courage, use some non-scented organic oil (I always used Evening Primrose Oil for reasons stated below) and try to massage and stretch the vaginal opening every evening. If you can’t reach, you could ask your partner to do that, though that’s a whole new level of intimacy! My husband was willing to do it because he was convinced of the benefits, but it was still a bit awkward… But the increased elasticity of the pelvic floor tissue after just a week was proof of the effectiveness of this treatment! (more…)

Posted by Christiane Williams on February 28, 2012

Home Birth Preparations

This is my third child and I am planning a home birth. Most people shake their heads about it and call me brave, but as a matter of fact I am just the opposite – I am scared! Scared that I will have the baby in the car! With No2 I was in the hospital for 17 minutes, already pushing in the elevator, before he shot out. If this one is just as fast or faster, there is no way I will make it to the hospital in time! Total labor from first contraction to birth was under 2 hours, so if that happens again, there is not much time for husband to commute home AND drive to the hospital… So I decided to get everything ready for a home birth just in case – and if it takes longer and/or there are complications, I will transfer to the hospital!

While the last time, all I had to prepare was a hospital bag and make sure I had a friend on speed dial to watch my son, preparing for a home birth is much more involved (and even costly)!

First I had to decide on a location in the house, where I wanted to labor and deliver. We considered the family room (too small for the pool), the living room (too valuable furniture and rug) and finally decided on the nursery, which was still half-empty and has wood floors. Now of course the room is full, since in addition to the changing table and crib we have added a birthing pool and a comfy chair. (more…)

Posted by Jane Highley on February 4, 2012

Prenatal Fitness: Not An Oxymoron

There are new comforts and luxuries that I discover when I am pregnant, and they only seem to satisfy when I am with child.  Simple things like herbal teas and sleep-inducing bubble baths may be part of your regular end-of-the-day ritual, but when I am not growing a baby-belly, I usually drink coffee as my preferred hot beverage and consider baths a waste of time (and water).  Constant changes to my body, both physiologically and anatomically, demand different solutions every few weeks.  However, one solution to most of my pregnancy woes has remained constant in all of my pregnancies, especially this one.  That solution is working out.  Whether on the trail for an easy-paced 5-mile run or working up a mean sweat in my living room with a DVD, I have discovered that maintaining my physical fitness through my pregnancy is critical.  If I am more fit, I am less uncomfortable in the third trimester, I rebound sooner and with no complications after the delivery, and most importantly, I feel good inside and out. (more…)

Posted by Meagan Church on January 31, 2012

Pregnancy Annoyances

I’m just a few short weeks away from my due date. As with my first two babies, I’m in no rush to see the pregnancy end. I find babies are more portable and easier to care for in utero, so I don’t mind letting them chill out and take their time coming into the world. It also helps that I have had very smooth and uneventful pregnancies. If I were more uncomfortable, perhaps I’d be in more of a rush. Thankfully I’ve avoided the typical pregnancy complaints, such as morning sickness, indigestion, varicose veins, etc. But I have to admit that there are a few annoyances that I look forward to not having to deal with once the little one arrives. (more…)

Posted by Christiane Williams on January 25, 2012

This Pregnancy’s Bad and Ugly

I am usually not a complainer. I have a pretty high tolerance for pain (e.g. two drug-free labors) and reasonable endurance (finished the Chicago marathon in 5 hours while not really being a runner). But this third pregnancy is starting to really test my physical limits!

I am 39 and I have wanted this third child for so long! Since I spent years to convince my husband and finally gotten pregnant, I feel like this should be a very happy and content time of my life. After all, a dream is coming true! But while I try not to show it too much to my husband and friends, I feel like my body is falling apart.

Women are always told that pregnancy is a wonderful time in their lives that they need to relish and enjoy, but that often leaves us puzzled when things are more severe than expected. Husbands have no clue how it is to carry a watermelon under your shirt that compresses your lungs and shares your blood supply! Doctors will tell you that nausea, hemorrhoids, shortness of breath and fatigue are normal! And even other mothers have often conveniently forgotten how horrible you can feel while pregnant. (Especially mothers-in-law seem to have never had a bad day in their entire pregnancies or while raising their perfect children!) (more…)

Posted by Jane Highley on January 22, 2012

An Interview with My Husband

Since this is my third (and most likely last) pregnancy, I thought it would be interesting to ask my husband to share his thoughts on this pregnancy compared to the two previous ones.  Additionally, I was curious about his perspective on witnessing up close all the dramatic changes that I experienced throughout the nine months.

What has been most surprising to you about your pregnant wife or about pregnancy in general? 

I was surprised by how big she got, especially towards the last few months.  I told a good friend about my surprise and then he later confided to me that he was also surprised by how big his wife became when they were expecting.  My wife became more beautiful with all that shiny hair and glowing skin.  And even though she complained a lot about her belly, I think it is beautiful.  Not necessarily sexy, but definitely beautiful.   She became more beautiful. (more…)

Posted by Jane Highley on January 3, 2012

Maternity Wear: What Works for Me

Whenever I see an article, either in print or on a blog, about “maternity fashion,” I laugh and wonder if the editors took the day off on the day of final review because the phrase seems like such an obvious oxymoron.  Women who live from one red-carpet moment to the next look stunning with or without a bump, but they have an entourage of designers, stylists, make-up artists, and personal assistants who practically throw themselves upon these celebrities to make them look like a goddess.  And when illustrious goddesses like Beyonce or Natalie Portman show off their growing bellies, they seem to glide across the floor in their dangerously high heels with perfect lady-like poise.

That’s not me.  At 17 weeks, I’m already showing a small belly, but it feels more like the result of too many holiday treats in one day and not enough Turkey Trot 5-Ks.  I don’t have a team of stylists fluttering about me, pulling outfits together for a play date or for a trip to Trader Joe’s.  That would be nice, I guess.  But with two little girls (ages 3 and 21 months) bouncing around me all day, I hardly have time to eat breakfast in one sitting, let alone stop to think about fashion.  And maternity fashion?  Forget it!  It can’t be done in my everyday (mis)adventures as a full-time mommy. (more…)