Beginning Breastfeeding

This was our latest class. Since there's no "advanced breastfeeding" class, I have to assume that beginning knowledge is all I really need.

The class was good. I'll save everyone the gory details, but we got basic information and basic instruction. Vanderbilt has 5 lactation consultants on staff and they're on-call in case you have problems when you go home. That's comforting to know that I can call at any time. 

I don't know what else to say about the class, it's pretty self-explanatory (or else you want to wait to learn it until it's yourself or your spouse going through it). However, what I can say for all my classes so far is I do suggest them for new parents. Even if I feel like I know what we went over, it gives a sense of confidence and you get to meet other pregnant women (and their husbands) and hear that you aren't alone.

Childbirth Class

We had our second childbirth class yesterday. Three more to go. Yesterday we learned about the stages of labor.
They are:
-Early labor which contains active labor and transition.
-Pushing which is pretty self-explanatory.
-Delivering the placenta which is also self-explanatory.

Most people go to the hospital during active labor (several hours after early labor starts).  We also learned the signs of true labor pains (instead of Braxton-Hicks "practice" contractions). 

The signs of real labor are:

-Pain starts in the back (or legs) and radiates around to the front.

-The labor pains don't stop.

-The pains don't change if you change activities.

-The pains increase in intensity.

-There is a regular pattern.

What glorious things to look forward to.

26 weeks!

The baby is 1.5 pounds now and just about 9.5 inches long. He's taking practice breaths of amniotic fluid (or will be soon). His eyelids have been closed for the retinas to develop, but now they're open and he's blinking.

He may be swimming around upside down because apparently its comfortable.

So the additional information from the APA is:
The nerves in the ears are developing and allowing your baby to respond more consistently to the sounds that he hears.

My Whiny Complaints

I have some whiny complaints that I'm confident will be funny later (when I get so much bigger).
1. I walk so slow!
2. I really miss running.
3. My back hurts a lot. I can't seem to sit still for very long without having to move or stand up for a few minutes (it makes me feel fidgety).
4. There's not enough time to get everything done.
5. February is really close!
6. It gets steadily harder to get in and out of bathroom doors (and of course there are many, many trips to the bathroom).

I think those are probably the big things that annoy me. There are already just as many good things to counter-act the annoying things. I can't quite describe how great it is to feel the little kicks and know that he's doing well. Time just already seems to move much faster than I think it should.

Childbirth Class

We started our childbirth classes last night. They meet for 2 hours on Mondays and run for 5 weeks.

This week was a basic introduction. I would guess there are about 10 couples total. One of the other couples has the same due date as us, but most of the other couples were due about a month earlier.

We did some basic anatomy this week to illustrate where the baby fits and how he'll grow in the next three months. We also talked about some warning signs in pregnancy concerning pre-term labor. Some of the warning signs were: regular contractions, problems with vision, swelling or puffiness in the face and hands, and chills or fever of 100.5 or higher.

And finally we talked about what to take to the hospital for the labor process, this list was surprisingly long. It looks like they really expect me to get bored. My personal favorite was an "item to focus on." I can't decide if that should be a picture of something I love (like the dogs) or something I really hate so I can glare at it.

Next week we talk about labor and relaxation. Two things you always want to go together :)

Due Date

I don't think I've ever posted the actual due date. So, my due date is February 29. I have my fingers crossed that it will be his birthday :)

25 weeks!

The baby is now 9 inches long and he weighs 1 pound and 5 ounces. He has a distinct hair color, but it may change after he's born anyway. His bones are hardening and his brain is still growing.

The APA says the baby is already about 12 inches long. The other thing is that he's starting to gain some baby fat and look more like a baby (and I would assume less like an alien).

I can say for certain that he's still kicking away (and kicked my bladder the other day), my next doctor's appointment isn't until December.

Picking things up from the floor

I know that I have the majority of my tummy-growing ahead of me. However, I want to describe what it's like right now. Imagine cutting a soccer ball in half (or a basketball, anything about that size). Now fill it with air or fluid so it's firm and stick it over stomach. Keeping it in place, try to bend forward and pick something up, tie your shoes, etc. It's not impossible but it's annoying, and (of course) it's only going to get worse.

24 weeks!

The baby is about 1 pound 3 ounces now and 8.5 inches tall. He has a sense of equilibrium and can tell the difference between upside down and right side up. Over the next few weeks he will add blood vessels to his lungs.

A glucose screening test is in the works to check for gestational diabetes.

Okay, here's additional information I found interesting from the APA (American Pregnancy Association):

"Your baby's brain is growing rapidly at this time. Taste buds are also developing, and the lungs are becoming more developed and complex. The branches of the main lung are beginning to form as well as special cells that will produce surfactant. Surfactant is necessary for the air sacs to inflate easily. Babies who are born prematurely often have trouble breathing because these cells have not had enough time to develop or are not producing the necessary amounts of surfactant."

OB Appointment

I had my latest OB appointment this morning. Everything seems to be fine. The baby's heart rate is about 130 (which is normal). I scheduled my diabetes test for one month from now. I guess that's it really.

23 weeks!

The baby now weighs one pound. He's 8 inches long from crown to rump and has fingernails and toenails. In theory, the sense of hearing is already well-developed.

So more research says that fetal heart rate slows while the mother is speaking suggesting the baby hears, recognizes, and is calmed by my voice. I guess we'll see.

Kicking

We watched the VHS for the 19 week ultrasound this weekend. I forgot that the little baby kicked and squirmed around so much. Although it may seem like that would be annoying for the un-pregnant people, it's actually quite reassuring. I can feel a lot more kicking than I could at 19 weeks. The plus-side to the kicking is that you know the baby is okay. There are approximately a billion things to worry about with your baby, pregnancy, self, diet, etc and feeling the kicks cuts out some of the concerns.
So, kick on little guy.