I don't think I mentioned that, at our last ultrasound, we learned our
baby was breech. The news was a little disappointing since Archie's
been so cooperatively oriented head-down through pretty much all of the
pregnancy--until about 2 or 3 weeks ago, that is. However, the news did
not comes as a big surprise (which is why I can narrow the head-up
period to about 2-3 weeks). I'd been noticing the hard, round ball of
Archie's head bulging defiantly just under my ribs. At the same time, I
quite suddenly started to experience my very first bouts of heartburn
(and I've read that pregnancy-related heartburn is more common with
breech babies). And kicks have recently been hitting lower in my belly,
hiccup spasms starting higher.
When my suspicions were confirmed by the ultrasound, I decided it
was time to do something to encourage Archie to turn over. The website
SpinningBabies.com
offers a lot of advice for getting Baby into a good birthing position
without medical intervention. I've been trying breech tilts and
inversions (both of which basically involve laying around upside-down a
couple times a day in the hopes of disengaging Baby's bottom from the
pelvis and providing Baby with room to turn), pelvic rocking (an
exercise also generally recommended for strengthening those
super-important birthing muscles), talking to Baby about how to prep for
birth, and habitually leaning forward (instead of back) while sitting.
After about a week, I think it may actually be working. I no longer
see or feel that particular bulge in my upper abdomen, I've been finding
the heartbeat much lower in my belly, and heartburn hasn't bothered me
in several days...
For better or worse, however, the fact is that Archie moves
around quite a lot these days, and any progress we've made could be
quite quickly reversed with a single somersault. So, please send us
some good, head-down vibes, especially as we get closer to our due
date. Hopefully, Archie will settle into the right position before
urgency requires more desperate measures than, more or less, just
correcting my posture!
Showing posts with label Movement. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Movement. Show all posts
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Week 32
I seems like only yesterday day that Bryan and I were gawking at those two blue lines, silently asking each other and ourselves, "So now what?" But the fact is that that excited, happy day is now roughly seven months behind us, and, today, entering our 32nd week of pregnancy, we are a mere two months shy of our due date. Two months!
So now what?
As the birth gets closer, that question has become a little more urgent. Where once "now what" meant little more than waiting and, later on, watching (but doing mostly nothing) today it means that we had really better get our gear in order. All the literature is warning me to watch out for signs of preterm labor. In our last Bradley Method class, we discussed what items to pack for the hospital and were tasked with finalizing our birth plan in writing as homework. Our doula recently urged me to walk at least an hour every day from here on out (it's an exercise purported to help ensure a punctual delivery). And we realize, though it's sometimes still a little shocking to think of it, that if I go into labor in as little as six weeks, I'll be considered full term and no one will try to stop the baby from making its "early" debut.
As you can probably tell, we've been focusing a lot of our attention lately on preparing for labor and delivery--a good thing since those two steps are pretty crucial to the somewhat longer term goal of bringing this baby home. But we also haven't forgotten that Baby will need postpartum care--and that we ought to prepare a bit for that, too, as Baby doesn't come with a tutorial or trial run. That's why today, for instance, we attended a breastfeeding class (at Shining Light Prenatal Education in Lawrenceville--an excellent resource for local moms-to-be, by the way).
Having spoken with a lot of moms over the years--and particularly over the past few months, of course--I've developed the impression that breastfeeding is a learned skill that doesn't come to most (or maybe even any) mothers as naturally as evolutionary theory would tempt us to expect. And these days, in particular, because we don't all grow up with frequent exposure to breastfeeding, we're more often than not forced to learn the tricks of the trade the hard way--that is, on the job. So Bryan and I decided to attend a class to help us (well, me, mostly--but he'll play an important role as my primary support) to start out strong.
I'm so glad we attended. Although it's obviously too early to say yet whether the class will play a pivotal role in easing Baby's and my transition to nursing, I did come out of the class with a much better sense of what to expect: how the baby achieves its first latch (have you ever heard of the breast crawl?), how to best position the baby to avoid the pain and irritation sometimes associated with breastfeeding, what complications might arise and how to address them if they do, how to tell when Baby's hungry (before the crying begins, that is), when to best introduce the bottle, and so on. We were fortunate to have signed up for an unusually small class--it was just Bryan and me and the instructor--so we had plenty of time to go over all of our questions and to amass a ton of information on matters we hadn't even considered.
Yes, we're getting closer, and thanks to a wonderful community of mothers and educators around us, we're feeling more and more prepared for what's to come.
What we have now, by the way, according to the books, is an approximately 4-pound, 19-inch squirmer, quickly running out of space for its squirmy antics. I have to tell you: I'm shocked sometimes to feel a little baby rump way over on my left side and then to feel little baby feet kicking way over on the right. It makes me think our baby must have the longest legs in all the (baby) world. And then I realize that our baby's almost done growing in the vertical direction. At this point, it's very nearly at its birth height, and most of its continued growth is in the form of fat accumulation (growing out, not up). I'm not sure why I find that distinction so remarkable, but I do. That's one long little peanut I have inside me already. Though I also wouldn't be surprised if Archie did indeed inherit Daddy's lengthy gams, too!
So now what?
As the birth gets closer, that question has become a little more urgent. Where once "now what" meant little more than waiting and, later on, watching (but doing mostly nothing) today it means that we had really better get our gear in order. All the literature is warning me to watch out for signs of preterm labor. In our last Bradley Method class, we discussed what items to pack for the hospital and were tasked with finalizing our birth plan in writing as homework. Our doula recently urged me to walk at least an hour every day from here on out (it's an exercise purported to help ensure a punctual delivery). And we realize, though it's sometimes still a little shocking to think of it, that if I go into labor in as little as six weeks, I'll be considered full term and no one will try to stop the baby from making its "early" debut.
As you can probably tell, we've been focusing a lot of our attention lately on preparing for labor and delivery--a good thing since those two steps are pretty crucial to the somewhat longer term goal of bringing this baby home. But we also haven't forgotten that Baby will need postpartum care--and that we ought to prepare a bit for that, too, as Baby doesn't come with a tutorial or trial run. That's why today, for instance, we attended a breastfeeding class (at Shining Light Prenatal Education in Lawrenceville--an excellent resource for local moms-to-be, by the way).
Having spoken with a lot of moms over the years--and particularly over the past few months, of course--I've developed the impression that breastfeeding is a learned skill that doesn't come to most (or maybe even any) mothers as naturally as evolutionary theory would tempt us to expect. And these days, in particular, because we don't all grow up with frequent exposure to breastfeeding, we're more often than not forced to learn the tricks of the trade the hard way--that is, on the job. So Bryan and I decided to attend a class to help us (well, me, mostly--but he'll play an important role as my primary support) to start out strong.
I'm so glad we attended. Although it's obviously too early to say yet whether the class will play a pivotal role in easing Baby's and my transition to nursing, I did come out of the class with a much better sense of what to expect: how the baby achieves its first latch (have you ever heard of the breast crawl?), how to best position the baby to avoid the pain and irritation sometimes associated with breastfeeding, what complications might arise and how to address them if they do, how to tell when Baby's hungry (before the crying begins, that is), when to best introduce the bottle, and so on. We were fortunate to have signed up for an unusually small class--it was just Bryan and me and the instructor--so we had plenty of time to go over all of our questions and to amass a ton of information on matters we hadn't even considered.
Yes, we're getting closer, and thanks to a wonderful community of mothers and educators around us, we're feeling more and more prepared for what's to come.
What we have now, by the way, according to the books, is an approximately 4-pound, 19-inch squirmer, quickly running out of space for its squirmy antics. I have to tell you: I'm shocked sometimes to feel a little baby rump way over on my left side and then to feel little baby feet kicking way over on the right. It makes me think our baby must have the longest legs in all the (baby) world. And then I realize that our baby's almost done growing in the vertical direction. At this point, it's very nearly at its birth height, and most of its continued growth is in the form of fat accumulation (growing out, not up). I'm not sure why I find that distinction so remarkable, but I do. That's one long little peanut I have inside me already. Though I also wouldn't be surprised if Archie did indeed inherit Daddy's lengthy gams, too!
Thursday, May 31, 2012
NYC Trip
And we're back (after an unintentionally long hiatus)!
I've been meaning to post to the blog for a while, but time's been running away from me. Now well into the third trimester, I find myself needing more Z's than usual, and that means less time for pretty much everything else, including blogging. (Though I'll try to better about it in the upcoming weeks. I promise.)
Sleepiness aside, as our period of childless freedom draws to a close, Bryan and I are doing our best to make the most of our last couple months on our own. This past weekend, that effort included packing our bags and taking a long-anticipated trip to New York City--and, I must say, never before has an 8+ hour bus ride proven so worthwhile. We enjoyed a wonderful holiday visiting family and friends--dining on fabulous exotic foods (Do Hwa for some authentic Korean, El Cocotero for scrumptious Venezuelan, and, although not foreign, Bubby's offered some of the best pancakes I've ever had the pleasure of eating), brushing elbows (well, almost) with Topher Grace from our front row seats at an off-Broadway play, and trying on our art critics' hats at the cool and quirky MoMA PS1, among other things. Regrettably, we didn't take any pictures to share, but I guess when you're having so much fun, snapping those vacation shots gets to be low priority!
In baby news, this weekend we also had the honor of sharing our baby's kicks with their first third party. I'm so grateful to my very good friend Leslie for her enthusiastic interest in Archie's wild and weird belly antics! It was a really pleasure to see someone else marvel at this strange miracle, after spending so many months is wide-eyed disbelief ourselves.
Archie continues to perfect his/her acrobatics on a daily basis. It seems that lately we've moved on from simple kicks and jabs to dramatic flips and spins. As a result, the landscape of my stomach is ever-changing and almost always asymmetrical. Growth seems to be occurring much more rapidly now, too. Even Leslie noted that my stomach looked bigger after just three days of visiting (although our many delicious meals might have been partially at fault, as well)!
Less than ten weeks to go. Just unbelievable.
I've been meaning to post to the blog for a while, but time's been running away from me. Now well into the third trimester, I find myself needing more Z's than usual, and that means less time for pretty much everything else, including blogging. (Though I'll try to better about it in the upcoming weeks. I promise.)
Sleepiness aside, as our period of childless freedom draws to a close, Bryan and I are doing our best to make the most of our last couple months on our own. This past weekend, that effort included packing our bags and taking a long-anticipated trip to New York City--and, I must say, never before has an 8+ hour bus ride proven so worthwhile. We enjoyed a wonderful holiday visiting family and friends--dining on fabulous exotic foods (Do Hwa for some authentic Korean, El Cocotero for scrumptious Venezuelan, and, although not foreign, Bubby's offered some of the best pancakes I've ever had the pleasure of eating), brushing elbows (well, almost) with Topher Grace from our front row seats at an off-Broadway play, and trying on our art critics' hats at the cool and quirky MoMA PS1, among other things. Regrettably, we didn't take any pictures to share, but I guess when you're having so much fun, snapping those vacation shots gets to be low priority!
In baby news, this weekend we also had the honor of sharing our baby's kicks with their first third party. I'm so grateful to my very good friend Leslie for her enthusiastic interest in Archie's wild and weird belly antics! It was a really pleasure to see someone else marvel at this strange miracle, after spending so many months is wide-eyed disbelief ourselves.
Archie continues to perfect his/her acrobatics on a daily basis. It seems that lately we've moved on from simple kicks and jabs to dramatic flips and spins. As a result, the landscape of my stomach is ever-changing and almost always asymmetrical. Growth seems to be occurring much more rapidly now, too. Even Leslie noted that my stomach looked bigger after just three days of visiting (although our many delicious meals might have been partially at fault, as well)!
Less than ten weeks to go. Just unbelievable.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes
For the past couple days, Archimedes has seemed to be constantly on the move. One minute, our little karate kid is kicking my left ribs, the next minute my right. Watching my stomach is increasingly reminiscent of watching the earth quake: the globe that is my abdomen undulates in random patterns, almost without pause, under the pressure of Archie's flaying knees and feet. I sometimes wonder if our baby ever sleeps.
Yesterday, Archie's movements were so distinct and so close to the surface that Bryan and I were able to map out a tiny baby body just by touch. Head down. Back pressed against my right side. Legs kneeling. Feet tucked up near my right ribs. Then the sudden growth of my left half, accompanied by deflation of the right and a tickle under my left ribs, indicated that Archie had flipped into a mirror position.
These reminders that there is a real, live human being in there--with a solid, if miniature, body--continue to feel surreal. Just like those first movements once surprised and amazed us, now the feel of a bony foot pressed against our fingertips brings us that much closer to the reality-to-be.
Yesterday, Archie's movements were so distinct and so close to the surface that Bryan and I were able to map out a tiny baby body just by touch. Head down. Back pressed against my right side. Legs kneeling. Feet tucked up near my right ribs. Then the sudden growth of my left half, accompanied by deflation of the right and a tickle under my left ribs, indicated that Archie had flipped into a mirror position.
These reminders that there is a real, live human being in there--with a solid, if miniature, body--continue to feel surreal. Just like those first movements once surprised and amazed us, now the feel of a bony foot pressed against our fingertips brings us that much closer to the reality-to-be.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Baby Kicks: The Movie
I have been trying to catch Archimedes kicking on video, and today I finally succeeded! (Up until now, Archie always seemed to stop kicking as soon as the camera came out. A bit camera shy, I guess. Then again, I remember how embarrassed I felt when Mom and Dad took out the ol' video recorder and asked me to perform!)
Anyway, here's the fancy movie I made of the few well-timed seconds I caught (keep your eye on the spot just up and to the right of the belly button):
Anyway, here's the fancy movie I made of the few well-timed seconds I caught (keep your eye on the spot just up and to the right of the belly button):
Friday, April 6, 2012
Housing Nightmares, Goblin Kidnappings, and the Joys of Playing Tag
For those of you not keeping up with our recent home-buying
adventures on Facebook, let me just summarize by saying that they have
been Stressful, with a capital "S". Actually, make that STRESSFUL, all
caps. Compared to this current nightmare, both our first home purchase
and recent home sale were complete cakewalks.
Anyway, the latest news on the home-buying front is that our scheduled closing--4pm yesterday--was postponed--a fact which, naturally, we learned via a phone call at 4:56pm. Potentially maddening, right?
The good news is that we didn't have to wait long to feel our spirits cheered. At about the same time we received that phone call, Bryan and I were lying on the bed, reading The Hobbit--one of Baby's favorite activities by the kick-o-meter--when for the first time we actually got to witness some kicking in action! Yes, we saw (what I'm guessing was) a foot poke my skin and zip right across my belly button. And then it happened again and again! Baby apparently did not take kindly to Bilbo and the dwarves' violent kidnapping by goblins in the Misty Mountains. (At least that's how I'm going to read it. "Psycho baby rejoices at goblin victory" reads less desirably.)
But here's the real "kicker": at one point, I placed by hand on my belly and felt, right up against my skin and to my great surprise, the bony protrusion of a tiny baby leg. It stuck around long enough for Bryan to feel it, too, and then, presumably tired of being prodded, retreated into the depths of its baby cave.
I have to admit, it's very hard to stay in a bad mood following your first game of fetal tag. I just cannot get enough of these simple surprises and pleasures as we get to know this growing person!
Anyway, the latest news on the home-buying front is that our scheduled closing--4pm yesterday--was postponed--a fact which, naturally, we learned via a phone call at 4:56pm. Potentially maddening, right?
The good news is that we didn't have to wait long to feel our spirits cheered. At about the same time we received that phone call, Bryan and I were lying on the bed, reading The Hobbit--one of Baby's favorite activities by the kick-o-meter--when for the first time we actually got to witness some kicking in action! Yes, we saw (what I'm guessing was) a foot poke my skin and zip right across my belly button. And then it happened again and again! Baby apparently did not take kindly to Bilbo and the dwarves' violent kidnapping by goblins in the Misty Mountains. (At least that's how I'm going to read it. "Psycho baby rejoices at goblin victory" reads less desirably.)
But here's the real "kicker": at one point, I placed by hand on my belly and felt, right up against my skin and to my great surprise, the bony protrusion of a tiny baby leg. It stuck around long enough for Bryan to feel it, too, and then, presumably tired of being prodded, retreated into the depths of its baby cave.
I have to admit, it's very hard to stay in a bad mood following your first game of fetal tag. I just cannot get enough of these simple surprises and pleasures as we get to know this growing person!
Friday, March 23, 2012
Fetal Movement
Archimedes is on the move!
At twenty-one weeks, we already have a real wriggler on our hands. Kicks. Punches. What seems like a ridiculous number of hiccups. Rumor has it that the extent of these early movements can be reflective of our child's later personality, which leads me to the question: ought I be worried? Are we looking forward to a fidgety little rascal with Energizer bunny tendencies? (And is it okay for me to admit that I was hoping for more of a quiet bookworm?)
Truth be told, though, I'm delighted by our baby's increasingly frequent antics. Archie's hiccups make me giggle (they actually tickle). And the strengthening kicks and punches arrive like unexpected valentines. I can't get over how fun and surprising and awesome each of these little interactions is. And now that Bryan can feel the occasional kick from the outside, too, our evenings are taking on the quaint character of a family game night: Mom and Dad and Junior all exchanging high fives.
A little lame, maybe, but from this lame mom's perspective also totally cool.
At twenty-one weeks, we already have a real wriggler on our hands. Kicks. Punches. What seems like a ridiculous number of hiccups. Rumor has it that the extent of these early movements can be reflective of our child's later personality, which leads me to the question: ought I be worried? Are we looking forward to a fidgety little rascal with Energizer bunny tendencies? (And is it okay for me to admit that I was hoping for more of a quiet bookworm?)
Truth be told, though, I'm delighted by our baby's increasingly frequent antics. Archie's hiccups make me giggle (they actually tickle). And the strengthening kicks and punches arrive like unexpected valentines. I can't get over how fun and surprising and awesome each of these little interactions is. And now that Bryan can feel the occasional kick from the outside, too, our evenings are taking on the quaint character of a family game night: Mom and Dad and Junior all exchanging high fives.
A little lame, maybe, but from this lame mom's perspective also totally cool.
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