Well we tried another version attempt yesterday. Nothing. The midwife didn't even try for that long because he has dropped so far down into my pelvis that she couldn't get his bum up. So what do we do now? Well there is one OBGYN that we have had two excellent references for that the midwife is going to try and see if we can get in to see him. If we can't see him, then we will be getting prepared for a c-section.
We see Tanya next week (she is actually coming for a home visit) and she will have all the information about getting the consult with an OBGYN, and how we set up the c-section. We will continue to try all of the crazy upside down, burning chinese herbs, talking to the belly, etc until I'm strapped down on the table. But I also have to start getting my brain wrapped around the fact that chances are I will be sliced and diced.
I can't say that I am not disappointed. We waited so long to get a midwife, planned for a great natural birth and now might end up with the most invasive and medical of births. I know, I know, keep you eyes on the prize Julie. As long as he is healthy, that's the main goal. But the 6 weeks postpartum recovery is what I am dreading the most. I have a feeling many favours will be called in!
Friday, March 30, 2007
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Revised Belly Shot - Week 34/35
This shot was taken during one of Julie's "20 Minute Workouts". Our ironing board is really taking a beating! I have a feeling that the baby has started his turn, and Julie wholeheartedly disagrees. Not sure what Chili thinks, other than hoping that his pathetic-looking face will get him whatever he wants (he's right). I'm apt to side with the mother on this, since I continue to have dreams about having a daughter, so what do I know? I will promise this, though...if boy decides to stay where he is and we have to resort to a "Caesar" (as they call it in Australia - reference courtesy of our prenatal instructor), then he is going to be instantly grounded. We'll start with a week and see how he behaves.
Friday, March 23, 2007
The Version
We tried the version yesterday and… it didn’t work. Junior is stubbornly still in the Frank Breech position. Frank Breech is basically when the baby is in a pike position (think diving, not fish), and is the hardest breech position to turn.
The procedure wasn’t as painful as I thought it was going to be. It wasn’t comfortable that’s for sure, and there were a few moments when the discomfort was rather intense, but it didn’t last for long. The midwife tried to turn him one way, and when that didn’t work, she tried the other. Basically what she tried to do was rotate the baby by palpating my belly with her hands; grabbing his head in one hand and bum in the other and slowly encouraging him to flip. Needless to say my muscles are a little tender today.
The midwives were very encouraging and Marty was great, sitting by my head, stroking my face and giving me lots of support. There is still some time for Junior to turn on his own, so we will continue to do all the little things that we have been doing. And if he doesn’t we can try the version again in two weeks. If he doesn’t flip by then, we will have to have a consult with the OB and schedule a c-section.
I was more upset than I thought I would be, as I spent moments in silent tears last night. I think lack of sleep, hormones and the fact that I have a bad cold have major factors in the emotional reaction. Marty is being very optimistic, I hope some of that optimism rubs off on me.
The procedure wasn’t as painful as I thought it was going to be. It wasn’t comfortable that’s for sure, and there were a few moments when the discomfort was rather intense, but it didn’t last for long. The midwife tried to turn him one way, and when that didn’t work, she tried the other. Basically what she tried to do was rotate the baby by palpating my belly with her hands; grabbing his head in one hand and bum in the other and slowly encouraging him to flip. Needless to say my muscles are a little tender today.
The midwives were very encouraging and Marty was great, sitting by my head, stroking my face and giving me lots of support. There is still some time for Junior to turn on his own, so we will continue to do all the little things that we have been doing. And if he doesn’t we can try the version again in two weeks. If he doesn’t flip by then, we will have to have a consult with the OB and schedule a c-section.
I was more upset than I thought I would be, as I spent moments in silent tears last night. I think lack of sleep, hormones and the fact that I have a bad cold have major factors in the emotional reaction. Marty is being very optimistic, I hope some of that optimism rubs off on me.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Baby Shower Number 1
It’s great living in one city and still having family and friends in another. You get two baby showers! But seriously, all joking aside, Marty and I are extremely lucky to have such generous family and friends. We won’t be able to thank everyone enough.
Last Sunday was the Montreal shower, hosted by Tammy. It was great. She really out did herself on the decorations, silly games and food. The decorations were done with baby socks, board books, rubber duckies and some great stuffed animals; great idea to use decorations that are useful afterwards. And there were so many games and prizes, it was really fun. The best was the dirty diaper game and how my cousin Sherri reacted to it, and Mary-Francis tasting the brown one that no one could figure out! Brave girl!
Everyone was so generous with the gifts. We got some great clothing, receiving blankets, crocheted blankets, bath time stuff, mobile, portable high chair, toys… all in all, a very good haul. Everyone had a good time, everyone left with at least one prize from the games and a full stomach. The perfect afternoon.
A giant thank you to Tammy. It was a wonderful afternoon and I really appreciate everything that you did for me. Big sisters rock!!
Last Sunday was the Montreal shower, hosted by Tammy. It was great. She really out did herself on the decorations, silly games and food. The decorations were done with baby socks, board books, rubber duckies and some great stuffed animals; great idea to use decorations that are useful afterwards. And there were so many games and prizes, it was really fun. The best was the dirty diaper game and how my cousin Sherri reacted to it, and Mary-Francis tasting the brown one that no one could figure out! Brave girl!
Everyone was so generous with the gifts. We got some great clothing, receiving blankets, crocheted blankets, bath time stuff, mobile, portable high chair, toys… all in all, a very good haul. Everyone had a good time, everyone left with at least one prize from the games and a full stomach. The perfect afternoon.
A giant thank you to Tammy. It was a wonderful afternoon and I really appreciate everything that you did for me. Big sisters rock!!
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Prenatal Class
On Saturday, Marty and I had the first of our two days of prenatal classes. It’s a nice small class of five couples in a cosy location and a great instructor. All of the couples are very nice and we are all due around the same time (April/May). Marty and I are the only “freaks” in the class, going with a midwife, hoping for natural birth, doing prenatal yoga… But after the videos, that might all change!! A c-section doesn’t sound all that bad…
I think the class is mostly for the men. The women seem to know what’s coming, but most of the men seemed a little clueless. Marty was definitely the most knowledgeable of the group, but it’s probably because I keep sending him articles to read and he loves reading the weekly updates we get from a couple of websites that I am registered with. But the videos, they are definitely for everyone, and they don’t hide or gloss over anything. After one of the videos (we got to see several) one of the husbands turned to his wife and said, “Wow, I have a whole new respect for you.” All the other husbands were quick to nod in agreement. After seeing those videos, I have a whole new respect for women who have birthed, naturally or with drugs!!
I don’t know if Marty is going to post, so I will speak for him here… he was pretty grossed out by the videos. The placenta was the worst for him. But he definitively appreciated the videos as they gave him a very good idea as to what to expect. He didn’t realise that I would be able to get up and move around, and that that was actually encouraged to help move things along. All of his references are from TV and movies, where the woman just lies on her back and grunts a lot.
We have our last class on Saturday where we are going to learn a little more on baby care and breast feeding; should be another good class. We’ll let you know if there any more videos.
I think the class is mostly for the men. The women seem to know what’s coming, but most of the men seemed a little clueless. Marty was definitely the most knowledgeable of the group, but it’s probably because I keep sending him articles to read and he loves reading the weekly updates we get from a couple of websites that I am registered with. But the videos, they are definitely for everyone, and they don’t hide or gloss over anything. After one of the videos (we got to see several) one of the husbands turned to his wife and said, “Wow, I have a whole new respect for you.” All the other husbands were quick to nod in agreement. After seeing those videos, I have a whole new respect for women who have birthed, naturally or with drugs!!
I don’t know if Marty is going to post, so I will speak for him here… he was pretty grossed out by the videos. The placenta was the worst for him. But he definitively appreciated the videos as they gave him a very good idea as to what to expect. He didn’t realise that I would be able to get up and move around, and that that was actually encouraged to help move things along. All of his references are from TV and movies, where the woman just lies on her back and grunts a lot.
We have our last class on Saturday where we are going to learn a little more on baby care and breast feeding; should be another good class. We’ll let you know if there any more videos.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Breech
You read it right folks: Junior is breech. For anyone that has not been initiated to pregnancy lingo, that means Junior's butt is down, not his head, which is what we want. So what can we do? Well, we are attempting some of the unconventional techniques: me laying on an ironing board which is on an incline, with my head down and the blood gushing to it; me on my knees and my chest and face flat on the floor, so my butt is stuck up in the air and the blood gushes to my head; a cold pack on the top of my belly to try and give Junior a cold headache and make him turn; Marty talking to the bottom of my belly to try and get Junior to move towards it; a flash light on the bottom of my belly, "Move towards the light!", etc... Actually, the first two are highly recommended by both my midwife and chiropractor.
And then there are the more conventional techniques (well some people will still think that these are unconventional!). My chiropractor actually specializes in prenatal chiropractics and a technique call the Webber Technique. She helps loosen my hips and uterine muscles and rocks my belly back and forth and encourages Junior to move. She has said that there is lots of room for him right now, so we are hopeful. The work she is doing will also help what we are going to attempt on Thursday, which is a version.
A version is when a midwife or OB tries to turn the baby manually (yes, from the outside!). Sucess rates with OBs run about 50%. We are getting it done by one of Tanya's fellow midwives, Diane. Diane has been doing it for many years, and midwives tend to have a much better success rate than OBs. Yes it's going to hurt. I know a couple of friends that tried this with their OBs and it didn't work. But we figure there is no harm in trying. Sometimes they succeed and the baby just flips back up. If it doesn't work, and Junior does not flip on his own, we will be scheduled for a c-section, usually a couple of weeks before the due date, as they don't want you to go into labour. And it will be Junior's first official act of defiance!
We'll let you know how it goes on Thursday. We also have a couple of other posts to tell everyone about our first prenatal class and my Montreal baby shower. For those of you that are waiting for the belly shot... sorry, it ain't going to happen. Marty took it a couple of weeks ago and I burst into tears. So, there is no chance that it will get online. I will try and put some baby shower pictures up and maybe you can get a glimpse of it on those.
And then there are the more conventional techniques (well some people will still think that these are unconventional!). My chiropractor actually specializes in prenatal chiropractics and a technique call the Webber Technique. She helps loosen my hips and uterine muscles and rocks my belly back and forth and encourages Junior to move. She has said that there is lots of room for him right now, so we are hopeful. The work she is doing will also help what we are going to attempt on Thursday, which is a version.
A version is when a midwife or OB tries to turn the baby manually (yes, from the outside!). Sucess rates with OBs run about 50%. We are getting it done by one of Tanya's fellow midwives, Diane. Diane has been doing it for many years, and midwives tend to have a much better success rate than OBs. Yes it's going to hurt. I know a couple of friends that tried this with their OBs and it didn't work. But we figure there is no harm in trying. Sometimes they succeed and the baby just flips back up. If it doesn't work, and Junior does not flip on his own, we will be scheduled for a c-section, usually a couple of weeks before the due date, as they don't want you to go into labour. And it will be Junior's first official act of defiance!
We'll let you know how it goes on Thursday. We also have a couple of other posts to tell everyone about our first prenatal class and my Montreal baby shower. For those of you that are waiting for the belly shot... sorry, it ain't going to happen. Marty took it a couple of weeks ago and I burst into tears. So, there is no chance that it will get online. I will try and put some baby shower pictures up and maybe you can get a glimpse of it on those.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
A bit of venting...
I know, I know, where’s the belly shot!? Well, Marty’s working this week, so you’ll all have to be patient and wait. It’ll be up this weekend, we promise.
So quitting the sweets has not been much fun. I am now constantly thinking about sweets. All I wanted this morning when I got into work was a nice hot chocolate (it’s bloody cold out here!). And for the next three nights I have various events and will be going out for dinner. Here’s hoping that the dessert menus are all crappy!
I am starting to get a little tired of the whole pregnancy thing. I know I still have 7 and a half weeks left. They are going to be long! Sleeping is still OK (for now) as I have figured out a very comfortable pillow configuration. It’s been working for a few weeks now and I hope it lasts. It’s the slow waddle that is getting slower, the restless legs in the evening, the sore hips, the constant indigestion and mushy brain that are really getting to me. It’s also trying to pry myself off the futon once I have sat down. It’s getting to the point that I need Marty to hoist me out. And yes, I know, it’s just going to get worse as Junior is going to be gaining up to a pound a week, according to the literature. I’m starting to run out of clothes again. The last couple of weeks are going to be spent in my jeans, which are the only pants that I foresee fitting to the end (I bought them extra big), and I think there are a couple of tops that might make it. Otherwise I’ll be coming to work in Marty’s clothes. Won’t that look great! Yeehaa…
So quitting the sweets has not been much fun. I am now constantly thinking about sweets. All I wanted this morning when I got into work was a nice hot chocolate (it’s bloody cold out here!). And for the next three nights I have various events and will be going out for dinner. Here’s hoping that the dessert menus are all crappy!
I am starting to get a little tired of the whole pregnancy thing. I know I still have 7 and a half weeks left. They are going to be long! Sleeping is still OK (for now) as I have figured out a very comfortable pillow configuration. It’s been working for a few weeks now and I hope it lasts. It’s the slow waddle that is getting slower, the restless legs in the evening, the sore hips, the constant indigestion and mushy brain that are really getting to me. It’s also trying to pry myself off the futon once I have sat down. It’s getting to the point that I need Marty to hoist me out. And yes, I know, it’s just going to get worse as Junior is going to be gaining up to a pound a week, according to the literature. I’m starting to run out of clothes again. The last couple of weeks are going to be spent in my jeans, which are the only pants that I foresee fitting to the end (I bought them extra big), and I think there are a couple of tops that might make it. Otherwise I’ll be coming to work in Marty’s clothes. Won’t that look great! Yeehaa…
Friday, March 02, 2007
Update
Had my second appointment with the midwife yesterday. Not as great as the first one. My glucose is a little high as well as my blood pressure. So I have been told that I have to cut out the sweets. This was not good news considering that I have been on a bit of a sweet binge lately. Cadbury mini eggs are a staple in my diet (they’re only around once a year you have to take advantage!), so are home made milkshakes (with fresh fruit!), chocolate chip cookies, home made brownies, and the PC grapefruit carbonated drink which has been a god send due to the terrible heartburn, but which Tam pointed out is full of sugar. So now I have to go cold turkey. What will I snack on? Right, vegetables. My favorite! And yes, I know, I need to try and exercise a little more to help with the blood pressure thing.
Other that than the appointment went well. Giant baby syndrome seems to have tapered off and my belly is now measuring normal. Thank goodness! Junior’s head is already down. Now he just has to make sure that he stays that way. He has been extremely active, to the point of being somewhat annoying at times. His hiccups drive me crazy!
As Marty points out below, we will try and be a little more diligent with the postings in the next couple of weeks as things start to gear up. And this weekend will be the next Belly Watch episode, but there won’t be much difference from the last one since Junior has taken a little break on the growing.
Stay tuned...
Other that than the appointment went well. Giant baby syndrome seems to have tapered off and my belly is now measuring normal. Thank goodness! Junior’s head is already down. Now he just has to make sure that he stays that way. He has been extremely active, to the point of being somewhat annoying at times. His hiccups drive me crazy!
As Marty points out below, we will try and be a little more diligent with the postings in the next couple of weeks as things start to gear up. And this weekend will be the next Belly Watch episode, but there won’t be much difference from the last one since Junior has taken a little break on the growing.
Stay tuned...
Thursday, March 01, 2007
How to Lose Your Readership in 1 Easy Step...
...and that step is to do nothing. Is anyone still out there??? OK..as the due date approaches, my attention has turned from updating the blog to living my life as a childless man to the fullest. This of course, means focusing much of my free time on my fantasy hockey pools, surfing the web, watching TV (especially Heroes), and eating an abundance of unhealthy food. How is this different than my life pre-pregnancy? It isn't, of course, and that's the point. Once boy enters our lives, these precious moments will become rare, if not extinct (or so Julie tells me), so I really need to get it out of my system now. It's not as bad as it sounds, of course. I am spending some quality time mentally preparing to begin exercising. I find that picturing myself using a treadmill or lifting weights actually makes me feel better about myself, knowing full well that at some point, it will actually happen. Certainly not sweat-worthy, but productive nonetheless.
With all of the suggestions from the plethora of reading material we (mostly Julie) have consumed, playing music for Boy in the womb is the one that intrigues me the most. Therefore, I have compiled Baby's First CD! An inital test indicated that Boy kicked up a real fuss over songs that were upbeat and had basslines that jumped around, but as we understand it, the music can also be used post-birth to help soothe Boy, so I wanted some more mellow takes in there as well. After careful consideration, the tracklisting is as follows:
1. Teardrop - Massive Attack
2. Breathe - Telepopmusik
3. Nothing Can Stop Us - Saint Etienne
4. Never Know - Jack Johnson
5. Love Is No Big Truth - Kings of Convenience
6. Here Comes The Sun - The Beatles
7. All is Well - Bet E & Stef
8. Maybe San José - De-Phazz
9. Long Legs - The Magic Numbers (Boy's favourite so far)
10. Pink Moon - Nick Drake
11. Banana Pancakes - Jack Johnson
12. Yours to Keep (feat. Nenah Cherry) - Teddybears
13. Know How (with Feist) - Kings of Convenience
14. God Put A Smile Upon Your Face - Coldplay
15. The Heart Remains a Child - Everything But the Girl
16. Ce Matin La - Air
Anyone wishing a copy of the CD, please send $10 cash or money order. If you are connected with the Canadian Recording Indistry Association, and have begun taking action against me, get a sense of humour...and then send $10 cash or money order.
I'm excited to discover whether this will work or not, but Boy's going to have to learn to differentiate between good music and the trash that litters our airwaves at some point, so at least the CD should accomplish that much.
I can't make any promises, but I'll endeavour to blog a little more often.
With all of the suggestions from the plethora of reading material we (mostly Julie) have consumed, playing music for Boy in the womb is the one that intrigues me the most. Therefore, I have compiled Baby's First CD! An inital test indicated that Boy kicked up a real fuss over songs that were upbeat and had basslines that jumped around, but as we understand it, the music can also be used post-birth to help soothe Boy, so I wanted some more mellow takes in there as well. After careful consideration, the tracklisting is as follows:
1. Teardrop - Massive Attack
2. Breathe - Telepopmusik
3. Nothing Can Stop Us - Saint Etienne
4. Never Know - Jack Johnson
5. Love Is No Big Truth - Kings of Convenience
6. Here Comes The Sun - The Beatles
7. All is Well - Bet E & Stef
8. Maybe San José - De-Phazz
9. Long Legs - The Magic Numbers (Boy's favourite so far)
10. Pink Moon - Nick Drake
11. Banana Pancakes - Jack Johnson
12. Yours to Keep (feat. Nenah Cherry) - Teddybears
13. Know How (with Feist) - Kings of Convenience
14. God Put A Smile Upon Your Face - Coldplay
15. The Heart Remains a Child - Everything But the Girl
16. Ce Matin La - Air
Anyone wishing a copy of the CD, please send $10 cash or money order. If you are connected with the Canadian Recording Indistry Association, and have begun taking action against me, get a sense of humour...and then send $10 cash or money order.
I'm excited to discover whether this will work or not, but Boy's going to have to learn to differentiate between good music and the trash that litters our airwaves at some point, so at least the CD should accomplish that much.
I can't make any promises, but I'll endeavour to blog a little more often.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
