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September 9, 2003
31 Weeks
We had appointments to pick up our orthodics this week, which was great because I’ve really been looking forward to wearing a new pair in my shoes. I made sure I had an appointment with the same woman I had the consultation with, just so that I don’t have to explain the whole history behind my feet to yet another stranger sort of scenario. She was great again and one thing I noticed which was kind of funny is that it was quite a bit more difficult to lean over in the chair to undo my sandals to put on my runners… Much harder than when I saw her only three and a half weeks ago! Definitely shows that this belly of mine is doing some heavy duty growing :-) I am not sure if it is the orthodics or my feet, but fitting into my running shoes with them was a snug fit, there is no way I can use the laces that are on there right now, as they were *just* long enough to tie before, but these orthodics are much taller in the shoe and therefore them and my feet take up more room. So, I’ll have to find some laces to wear if I plan on actually using these orthodics!
We also had another Prenatal Class this week. One thing I forgot to write in my entry after the first class was that after the class as we were walking out to the car, Simon said something really sweet (at least to my ears). We were just chatting about the couples who were here again and those who weren’t, and the new couples too, when Simon said that all of the women looked like crap, and I looked really good. He went on to say that they all looked incredibly tired and just blah, whereas I have this glow about me and have all through the pregnancy. Is that not THE nicest thing a husband can say to a pregnant wife? :-) I tell you, I was teary eyed at such a compliment from him. He’s one of the characters where if you ask if you look good, he looks at you as if you’ve grown a horn, implying that of course you look good, why are you asking such a silly question?! *Grin*
We had our last prenatal class this week, and with the last one comes a tour of the hospital. The first portion of the class focussed on the process of birth, what the uterus does, the cervix, how the baby moves down etc. We were told how to count contractions and when labour actually started, which is at 3cm dilated, not before this stage. There were definitely some shocked faces around the room during the lecture part of the class when we were shown a video of two women in labour and then giving birth. During the video the nurse handed out tubes and other things that were used during the labours so that we could see what they actually were. It was kind of humorous to watch which couples just picked it up and passed it on because it made them uncomfortable and which ones examined the item before passing it on. We were warned that the video is a little more graphic than the shows on TLC, but to be honest, they didn’t really show anything I considered graphic. The other thing, is that the couples in the video were really disappointing. One woman repeatedly said that she couldn’t do it, couldn’t push the baby out, and was really negative during the entire birth. The other woman didn’t speak at all about the labour, instead it was her partner doing all the talking, and then when she delivered (with a lot of interventions) the doctor was fully and completely decked out in face shield, mask, gloves, gown etc. The first birth the doctor was only wearing gloves and I don’t even recall a gown being worn. It was just really sad to see two couples in a birth video that used a lot of interventions and were really not very positive about birth in general, let alone their experiences.
What was nice was chatting with a woman who sat beside me, she is just newly moved back to the city after working in Texas for a few years and I was able to share with her some pregnant exercise information, like where I was taking aquasize, and the yoga that I do as well. She’s only due a week before me and I am thinking that I would like to keep in contact with her because she seems really sensible and down to earth about most of the stuff in the class. I took her phone number and plan to call her when my thesis is done so that we can have tea or something together.
Alright, the hospital tour. First of all, throughout the first half of the class, I was doing fine. My sciatica had been acting up the past couple of days but had given me a reprieve for that day. However, as we all got up to go upstairs to the Labour and Delivery floor, halfway across the room, BOOM, my sciatica starts up. Gee, that is wonderful. Just at the very moment when I actually have to walk, it doesn’t want me to. Man, it was actually really bad, I was just kind of limping along, and limping slowly at that. I had to have Simon massage me every time we stopped along the way, and when we got into the room, I headed for a chair – I NEEDED to sit down.
Anyway, back to the details of the tour. The rooms are actually quite large – I was fairly impressed with their size. I liked how most of the technical medical stuff was stored out of the way for the most part, as I don’t plan on using any of it, and don’t want to look at it either. They do have CD players for you to use during your labour, and almost every room has a tub and/or shower. Simon took a look at the tub and shot me a look that told me that there was no way in hell that I would be able to fit into it, when I got the chance to look… Oh my, it was *small* So, no tub for me, but I may still be able to use the shower… The also supply birth balls for you to use if you wish, which would be wonderful. We are not sure yet if we’re going to buy one before, given how much we would like to labour here at the house before going to the hospital. Last thing I really remember is how much the nurse stressed that if the family members or support people are not in the room with the labouring woman, they are not permitted in the hallway, instead they must be in the lounge reserved for that purpose. This is to ensure that those women who are labouring feel as comfortable as possible using the hallways and the rails in them to help them in their labour. I have to say that I really like this remark :-) I would like to be active, active, active during the labour to help it progress as much as I can.
We have some more progress in the nursery this week :-) The change table is totally painted, as are the shelves that go above it. Actually they mount together and we have figured out that we can go ahead and mount the shelving unit as there is more than enough room in between the change table top and the bottom of the first shelf. Simon of course did all the painting, and he really is a sweetheart for it because he really dislikes the finicky-ness of the whole process. He enjoys painting things when I am there because I can do the tiny details like making sure it gets into corners etc where he does the broad stuff. The most I was able to do during this process was sand down some picture frames that we are also eventually going to paint. The other thing, which is actually quite funny in my eyes is that he is a relatively hairy guy. Now, I don’t want to paint a picture of my husband as being one of those really, really, really hairy guys, because he isn’t. However, he has a decent brushing of hair all over his legs, and forearms, and on his chest and shoulders. Why am I talking about this? Well, he paints just in a pair of shorts you see, and as he is moving around painting during the day, hairs fall off and onto the wet paint. Which just then makes more work for himself, because he’s got to pick them off, do another brush over with the roller, etc. etc. I, myself, don’t have that problem, hence him liking me doing the painting all the more :-)
So, anyway, after the table was painted, we let it sit in the garage (i.e. our workshop) for a couple of days to cure down there, and then we moved it all upstairs to cure some more in the nursery. We didn’t put together anything until this weekend, that’s why I haven’t written about the change table yet. It just didn’t feel right to talk about it until it was all done! Painting the change table was definitely far easier than painting the dresser though, because we didn’t assemble anything really for the table whereas we had to work around already assembled drawers etc. for the dresser. Simon ended up having to put together the body of the table so that he could tape off the reveal for the drawers better, but hands down it was way easier than the dresser. So, we have been poking our heads into the nursery now for a couple of days, just looking at it, as people are wont to do when things are coming together before their eyes and now that it is all together it looks so beautiful. The dresser is now in the corner it should be in, the change table on the other side, the shelving unit up, the crib (sans mattress and bedding) also in its corner. Oh, and I found this really sweet lamp from Sears – it’s got stars and crescent moon shapes cut out from the base and then the lampshade has stars imprinted on it so that when it’s lit, you can see them. Anyway, that is sitting on the dresser. I am by no means saying that there isn’t a bunch of work to do in the nursery. There is stuff everywhere still, and the shelves in the closet are full with stuff that need to be wiped off and put onto the shelves etc., but it does look so beautiful right now :-)
I also had a follow up physiotherapy appointment this week, and it went pretty good. The Physio was impressed at how quickly my muscles had strengthened, even over just a week’s time, and I was given a support belt to where whenever I felt the need. I have to say, it is pretty hideous. A five inch wide elastic, and five inch wide by eighteen inch long piece of foam, where the foam goes under your belly and the elastic velcros onto it. And, you have to wear it over your clothes because the elastic is so abrasive that it can give you a rash if you wear it on your skin. However, all of this was balanced out when I put it on, because when I took a step forward, I had no pain. At all. No little spasm, nothing, it was wonderful! And I felt so supported, too :-) This little thing is going to see a lot of use from me, I can tell already.
After my physio appointment, I had a haircut scheduled, my first since the end of February. I have been brushing my hair at night only to find little inch or inch and a half long pieces in the sink – it has been breaking off at the ends. Yuck. I think that this winter, which was really long, hard, cold and dry this year did a real number to my hair, so I got about three inches lopped off. It feels really, really wonderful now, swings, doesn’t get tangled at the ends nearly as frequently as it did before… Just feels great. Simon was a little upset with how much I got chopped off because he really likes my long hair, but saw the logic in it too, that it does grow back! :-) Oh, the other thing was that because my physio appointment went so quickly, I was quite early for my haircut, so I was given an express manicure on the house! It felt sublime to have my hands and forearms massaged, although the manicurist could have done a much better job on filing down my nails to an even length. She was really young and obviously gathering experience still though, so I didn’t really mind. After all, it’s not like my nails are picture perfect all the time anyway :-)
Symptoms: I have to confess a growing amazement for the effect the Little One is having on my body. I watch in the morning new stretch marks appear on my belly, have faded by night, only to have new ones again appear the next morning. Wow. How could I ever doubt the health of this little person when there is something so tangible showing me that it is indeed so healthy and growing? I definitely feel proud of these battle scars as I have begun to refer to them. The other thing is that I have had a couple of moments during the past couple of days that I could just nod off for a couple hour long nap, if it was possible. Simon laughs at me when I exclaim how tired I feel and replies that of course I am tired, I’m growing a baby after all :-) What a sweetie he is! My last symptom this week is that my feet have started to swell. Consistently. When I wake up in the morning, the swelling hasn’t really gone down at all. Right now, it is mostly in the top of the foot, right above where the toes are, and my skin feels really taut and uncomfortable. What I am hoping is that it is just the regular swelling that I get at this time of year, and that it doesn’t continue… I hope this is what it is, but also know that this is a major symptom in the last trimester and that I could be dealing with this until the Little One arrives. Which is actually just fine, because hey, it is such a small thing to deal with in the whole gist of things, right? :-) Right now my sneakers are starting to feel a little cozy, I can only say thank you that it is summer now, or it should be summer now, and I can wear my sandals from here on in!
**Talk to Me**
What was something your husband said to you during your pregnancy that was really unexpected and sweet?
How did you find your hospital tour? Were you encouraged or discouraged by the things that were emphasized or pointed out during the tour?
Did your feet start to swell during your last trimester, and was it worse because of the season you were pregnant in or did that have no effect at all?
Namaste, Laura and the Little One
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