as december 17th creeps closer & closer, it has dawned on me that it will be a full year since i last had my period... such a simple, yet often overlooked, perk of this whole pregnancy/baby thing!
i found it particularly humorous at my 6-week post-partum checkup that, when asked for the start date of my last period, i had to state the year for clarity sake (2008).
granted, the 4+ weeks after labor are like one glorified menstrual period - so i suppose this isn't such a great milestone afterall... oh. that reminds me that i need to explain the title of this blog. next post.
11.22.2009
11.19.2009
for your entertainment
starting mid-pregnancy i became (and continue to be) a huge fan of all video/entertainment about birth and labor. for example:
tv shows:
- 16 and pregnant
- i didn't know i was pregnant
- a baby story
- birth day
movies:
- knocked up
- away we go
websites:
- babycenter.com's labor videos
some of these gems just made me feel inifitely better about my own situation. like "16 and pregnant" - those dads are all a bunch of a**holes and if reminded me why i love my baby daddy so much.
some of them provided me with pure aw and disbelief. like "i didn't know i was pregnant"... i simply cannot comprehend these stories.
some of them just felt relatable, like the movies... i highly recommend "away we go" if you haven't seen it. the acting is so honest!
and some were merely educational. the labor videos helped my husband and i get over the shock of how organic and messy labor is... and the two shows "a baby story" and "birth day" show a wide variety of very real albeit different birthing experiences (without showing you the actual "details" of the birth, if you know what i mean...).
it is particularly interesting to watch "a baby story" and "birth day" after the fact, now that i've been there. i have a whole new perspective and understanding of these womens' experiences. it's also a little nostalgic for me.
you see, it turns out that "having a baby" is way less about the MOMENT when the baby pops out, and much much much more about the whole process getting there... and i don't mean the 9 months of making the baby (although that process is clearly important). i am specifically talking about the process of birthing it. labor can be long, it can be slow, and it can be exhausting. but these 2 tv shows are pretty damn truthful with their depiction about what the "laboring" process might be like for you, too.
oh - there is also a show about the first 48 hours after the baby comes home, too. i haven't watched it yet but will try to soon, and let you know if it hits the nail on the head or not.
tv shows:
- 16 and pregnant
- i didn't know i was pregnant
- a baby story
- birth day
movies:
- knocked up
- away we go
websites:
- babycenter.com's labor videos
some of these gems just made me feel inifitely better about my own situation. like "16 and pregnant" - those dads are all a bunch of a**holes and if reminded me why i love my baby daddy so much.
some of them provided me with pure aw and disbelief. like "i didn't know i was pregnant"... i simply cannot comprehend these stories.
some of them just felt relatable, like the movies... i highly recommend "away we go" if you haven't seen it. the acting is so honest!
and some were merely educational. the labor videos helped my husband and i get over the shock of how organic and messy labor is... and the two shows "a baby story" and "birth day" show a wide variety of very real albeit different birthing experiences (without showing you the actual "details" of the birth, if you know what i mean...).
it is particularly interesting to watch "a baby story" and "birth day" after the fact, now that i've been there. i have a whole new perspective and understanding of these womens' experiences. it's also a little nostalgic for me.
you see, it turns out that "having a baby" is way less about the MOMENT when the baby pops out, and much much much more about the whole process getting there... and i don't mean the 9 months of making the baby (although that process is clearly important). i am specifically talking about the process of birthing it. labor can be long, it can be slow, and it can be exhausting. but these 2 tv shows are pretty damn truthful with their depiction about what the "laboring" process might be like for you, too.
oh - there is also a show about the first 48 hours after the baby comes home, too. i haven't watched it yet but will try to soon, and let you know if it hits the nail on the head or not.
11.08.2009
after birth: parent/baby groups
so... this topic is for those of you approaching your due dates.
at the urging of several friends, my baby daddy and i are participating in two support groups for new parents that are offered in the seattle area. they're designed for new parents (with children 0-3 months), but usually the places who offer these classes have others that extend to older ages, too.
our groups meet once a week. one is a free, drop-in class offered by our hospital. it has a moderator that runs the class, but usually starts out with a guest speaker. we've had talks about infant eye care, diapering options, games & songs to play with infants, etc.
then, during the second half of the class, we go around the room. each person has the opportunity to introduce themselves, and talk about the highs and the lows of their week with baby.
they can also ask the group questions - anything you want, that has to do with you & your new baby... and the room chimes in with ideas, comments, etc. to hopefully help you out (or reassure you that everything is OK).
the other one is a couples group, that meets at night. it has a similar format, but is a smaller group designed for people in our neighborhood, and it's a fixed attendance (not a drop in). it's a little more expensive, but it's much more intimate.
honestly, yes, some days it seems silly to sit around listening to everyone else talk about sleep patterns, milk supply, or whatever other random thing is bothering them... but, for the weeks when you're the one with a concern, it's REALLY nice to have a room of people listening to you & willing to help out.
it's also a good excuse to get out of the house. it can be hard figuring out how to function away from the comfort of home, when you have a new infant... these classes are a great way to "practice". they usually don't care if you're late, if you're a mess, if you're in your pajamas. etc.
they also don't care if your baby cries during class, needs a diaper change, needs to be fed, etc. ... therefore it's good practice, too, for how to do those things in public (without the glaring eye of strangers). it's safe.
i encourage all new parents to look into finding similar classes in their cities before their baby is born. they're great for a few key reasons:
A) so you know you aren't alone.
B) to help you realize that all the things you think are weird, scary or bad with your new baby are really actually very normal. it's highly likely that others are experiencing the same things.
C) sometimes you learn some random tidbits that make a huge difference in your sanity as a new parent (especially during the earliest weeks... weeks 1-4 are the most chaotic).
D) you get to be around other adults for a few hours.
bring your baby daddy too, if you can (many of them tend to focus on new mothers, but the mothers like having a male perspective in the room!).
in seattle, we are participating in PEPS and evergreen's parent/baby "snugglers" class. there is also a similar class offered in the city, at the birth & beyond store in Madison Valley.
in san francisco, natural resources offers a similar class.
in boston, isis maternity also has these types of classes.
i'm sure there are many other options around the country... a google search can probably help you find some! or, ask friends you know (who have kids already).
have fun!
at the urging of several friends, my baby daddy and i are participating in two support groups for new parents that are offered in the seattle area. they're designed for new parents (with children 0-3 months), but usually the places who offer these classes have others that extend to older ages, too.
our groups meet once a week. one is a free, drop-in class offered by our hospital. it has a moderator that runs the class, but usually starts out with a guest speaker. we've had talks about infant eye care, diapering options, games & songs to play with infants, etc.
then, during the second half of the class, we go around the room. each person has the opportunity to introduce themselves, and talk about the highs and the lows of their week with baby.
they can also ask the group questions - anything you want, that has to do with you & your new baby... and the room chimes in with ideas, comments, etc. to hopefully help you out (or reassure you that everything is OK).
the other one is a couples group, that meets at night. it has a similar format, but is a smaller group designed for people in our neighborhood, and it's a fixed attendance (not a drop in). it's a little more expensive, but it's much more intimate.
honestly, yes, some days it seems silly to sit around listening to everyone else talk about sleep patterns, milk supply, or whatever other random thing is bothering them... but, for the weeks when you're the one with a concern, it's REALLY nice to have a room of people listening to you & willing to help out.
it's also a good excuse to get out of the house. it can be hard figuring out how to function away from the comfort of home, when you have a new infant... these classes are a great way to "practice". they usually don't care if you're late, if you're a mess, if you're in your pajamas. etc.
they also don't care if your baby cries during class, needs a diaper change, needs to be fed, etc. ... therefore it's good practice, too, for how to do those things in public (without the glaring eye of strangers). it's safe.
i encourage all new parents to look into finding similar classes in their cities before their baby is born. they're great for a few key reasons:
A) so you know you aren't alone.
B) to help you realize that all the things you think are weird, scary or bad with your new baby are really actually very normal. it's highly likely that others are experiencing the same things.
C) sometimes you learn some random tidbits that make a huge difference in your sanity as a new parent (especially during the earliest weeks... weeks 1-4 are the most chaotic).
D) you get to be around other adults for a few hours.
bring your baby daddy too, if you can (many of them tend to focus on new mothers, but the mothers like having a male perspective in the room!).
in seattle, we are participating in PEPS and evergreen's parent/baby "snugglers" class. there is also a similar class offered in the city, at the birth & beyond store in Madison Valley.
in san francisco, natural resources offers a similar class.
in boston, isis maternity also has these types of classes.
i'm sure there are many other options around the country... a google search can probably help you find some! or, ask friends you know (who have kids already).
have fun!
11.07.2009
pillows
i started my love affair with pillows while i was pregnant.
it began around week 16 or so, when sleeping started to ever-so-slightly feel a bit uncomfortable. we were staying in temporary housing at the time, and therefore had very few pillows (ok, 2 exactly).
i felt like i needed another pillow to help prop up my leg (because of some cramping that was beginning to happen frequently in the night). so i sent my baby daddy off to bed bath & beyond to purchase another pillow...
he kindly bought me a giant body-length pillow, which i admittedly felt was overkill... and maybe, at week 16, it was.
but BOY was i wrong about that body pillow, come the third trimester!
that pillow was used to initially prop up cramping legs. but soon, it was also used to wedge around my expanding belly. at some point i had a phase where i wrapped it down my back, through my legs and then used another pillow to hug my front... then i flipped that a few weeks later. in fact, the mutations of pillow usage from week 16 through 40 were numerous and varied.
the body pillow became such a staple in our bed that even my baby daddy started to snuggle up to (and hog it) from time to time.
taking a cue from "the girlfriend's guide to pregnancy" (where the author jokes about her body pillow becoming her new boyfriend), we might have even named ours... frank. or fred. or ralph...
ahh sweet little body pillow! and all it's little backup dancer normal-sized pillows that eventually accompanied it... sweet sweet pillows... what a fine performance you put on during the third trimester.
it's amazing how much better a little sack of fluff can make you feel!
(or two) (or three)
and it doesn't end after labor... i still use all my extra pillows frequently. sometimes for breastfeeding comfort. sometimes, to prop me up (or my baby daddy) in a slightly-reclined 45-degree angle sleeping position so that we can get an extra hour of snooze-time at 5am while our burpy, grunting, refusing-to-go-back-to-sleep-if-we-put-her-on-her-back infant lay on our chests... sometimes, just to decorate my bed on the rare days when i actually make it.
at any rate, i love a lot of pillows now. i never would have made it through pregnancy without, at minimum, the body pillow + at least 2 others.
if you find your own home lacking in pillow abundance, it might be wise to go stock up on some extras!
it began around week 16 or so, when sleeping started to ever-so-slightly feel a bit uncomfortable. we were staying in temporary housing at the time, and therefore had very few pillows (ok, 2 exactly).
i felt like i needed another pillow to help prop up my leg (because of some cramping that was beginning to happen frequently in the night). so i sent my baby daddy off to bed bath & beyond to purchase another pillow...
he kindly bought me a giant body-length pillow, which i admittedly felt was overkill... and maybe, at week 16, it was.
but BOY was i wrong about that body pillow, come the third trimester!
that pillow was used to initially prop up cramping legs. but soon, it was also used to wedge around my expanding belly. at some point i had a phase where i wrapped it down my back, through my legs and then used another pillow to hug my front... then i flipped that a few weeks later. in fact, the mutations of pillow usage from week 16 through 40 were numerous and varied.
the body pillow became such a staple in our bed that even my baby daddy started to snuggle up to (and hog it) from time to time.
taking a cue from "the girlfriend's guide to pregnancy" (where the author jokes about her body pillow becoming her new boyfriend), we might have even named ours... frank. or fred. or ralph...
ahh sweet little body pillow! and all it's little backup dancer normal-sized pillows that eventually accompanied it... sweet sweet pillows... what a fine performance you put on during the third trimester.
it's amazing how much better a little sack of fluff can make you feel!
(or two) (or three)
and it doesn't end after labor... i still use all my extra pillows frequently. sometimes for breastfeeding comfort. sometimes, to prop me up (or my baby daddy) in a slightly-reclined 45-degree angle sleeping position so that we can get an extra hour of snooze-time at 5am while our burpy, grunting, refusing-to-go-back-to-sleep-if-we-put-her-on-her-back infant lay on our chests... sometimes, just to decorate my bed on the rare days when i actually make it.
at any rate, i love a lot of pillows now. i never would have made it through pregnancy without, at minimum, the body pillow + at least 2 others.
if you find your own home lacking in pillow abundance, it might be wise to go stock up on some extras!
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