Cur likes this one because it looks like he's smiling. A moment later he opened up and stuck his whole hand in his mouth!
The money shot. Definitely a boy!
There it is! There's no mistaking it. I. Am. Pregnant. Seriously. I have to tell myself sometimes that this is really happening. It seems like time has flown by so quickly! This baby is going to be here in no time and I'm feeling a bit unprepared at the moment (although, can you really be fully prepared for something like this?!).
So, I've decided I'm going to do this birth all natural. I'm going to deliver in a hospital and everything, so nobody panic, but I don't want an epidural or pitocin or anything. I know some of you may think I'm off my rocker but for those of you that are behind me, or have experience with natural childbirth, how did you do it? I'm trying to figure out the best way to go about it. I've looked into hypnobirthing (sounds much weirder than it is), the bradley method, and I'm also thinking about asking my neighbor, a yogi & meditation extraordinaire to give me some private lessons on meditation and pain management. Obviously I have to pick a method pretty quickly so I can start practicing but I'm curious to hear what you have to say on the matter. I also need to figure out how I'm going to get Cur in on it since I will need his support more than anyone else's (one reason I like the idea of a class so we can learn about labor and pain management together). Any thoughts?
Oh and here's a belly shot from today:
14 comments:
Love the smile! You are sooo tiny. It looks like you haven't grown since Christmas!
Wow. I still can't believe there's a lil baby in your belly. Growing every second. So amazing. And I still can't get over how cute his profile is. He has the perfect little forehead, nose, and mouth. I can't wait to meet him.
What a cutie! I can't wait to hold Mr. Curbug!! Good luck on the natural birth. I had my first 3 kids natural using the bradley method.
So fun! Thanks for sharing the pictures. Can't wait to snuggle your sweet little boy. Love you.
Hey there- you don't know me but I grew up with Chris and Curtis. If you want to go natural and go it well- you HAVE to find a Bradley class near you to take with Curtis. They are 8 weeks long, though, so you should look soon. You will feel SO prepared for labor. I have several friends who have done it and they said it made the labor experience amazing. Just a suggestion to look into so that your labor is . . .
Awe so cute! Sure glad you are giving this natural child birth thing a try first- I'll learn from you:)
My piece of advice- if your baby is breech (but praying he is NOT of course) is having a chiropractor do the Webster Technique (certain adjustment)- to get him to turn. Pretty amazing stuff and a friend of ours in Dallas managed to turn her baby around in time to deliver naturally!
Good for you for wanting to take the natural approach and don't let anyone tell you you can't or shouldn't!!!!
i lovvvve the baby belly!!!
You look beautiful. I absolutely love that grey dress.
I just emailed you the paper I gave Adam so he could be prepared. And of course I've spilled everything I have to offer on the natural birth subject to you already. I actually think that getting in touch with your yogi friend would be a great idea. Stuff you learn in yoga does help you focus and listen to your breathing, and that's what I was all about during the big day.
Honestly, I think any method you choose is going to help you. Even if you piece together a bunch of different methods, you'll have all that knowledge to draw from when the time comes. There's a lot of pain management techniques in Birthing From Within that you can practice, like having an ice cube melt in your hand while you force your mind to concentrate on something else. I never did that ... but it's all there to learn about and I think whatever you can learn about will help.
In the childbirth class offered by our hospital that Adam and I took, they did some Lamaze stuff. It was all kind of a joke, because who remembers funky, unusual breathing techniques when they're in labor? You just end up doing what comes natural.
Hi Candace... I went to high school with Curtis... and I have had two very different kinds of births. With my first, I was induced, had an epidural, episiotomy, and had to have a vacuum delivery. It was traumatic to say the least. With my second, I did it all natural (in a hospital) with absolutely no interventions and it was AMAZING. Best thing I have ever done in my life. Recovery was easier, bonding with baby was easier, not to mention all the health benefits to mom and baby of not having evil pitocin coursing through your veins and the narcotics of an epidural.
My advice is to get as much information as you can. I read the book "The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth" by Henci Goer and it gave me all the scientific facts about why I was choosing to go natural (which is also how I got my hubby on board with the idea). But the number one thing you can do during the actual labor is to have a doula. Having a woman there who supports your natural childbirth choices, supports Curtis in his role in the birth, and helps you get through "just one more contraction" is priceless. And when you accomplish that goal you have been planning for so long... it's like a runner's high times a billion.
Those are GREAT ultrasound pics! As far as your choice to go all natural, you are going to start an all out war with these responses. After all it is not about which one is better, it is which way is better for you! And I am sorry but Anne has no idea what she is talking about as far as "all the health benefits to mom and baby of not having evil pitocin coursing through your veins and the narcotics of an epidural." (BS)
So, for my advise (because you have probably already heard all the advise you could ever want and much, much more!) is talk with your obgyn, he/she works with all the right people (doulas, midwifes, etc.) and they can tell you who is good (or not), they can tell you the health benefits and risks of all the different situations that could happen during childbirth. They have talked with couples who have tried all sorts of different methods and who have taken all the different classes... After all, they deal with it everyday!
But even though I think you are crazy for going all natural, I also think that it is better to want all natural and get it than want an epidural and not get it! So good luck! And... you are a strong woman, so you will be able to handle anything you choose!
cutest little belly!! that's awesome that you want to do it without pain meds! i was planning on doing that, until they told me i had to have an emergency c-section. but hopefully i can do it next time. i'll have to hear about your experience when it's all done!!!
Congratulations on your baby! You look so cute and happy! Just wanted to stop and say hi...Heather keeps me updated on things and I love reading your blog. :)
hahaha! I loved reading these comments. I think it's awesome that you plan to go natural, go C-bug! For me, having an epidural was a blessing and I am grateful that I was able to have one. You also know that I am a already thinking I may have to get induced this time to reduce the risk of c-section, so once again I am grateful that the option is there with pitocin. Perspective is a funny thing, isn't it?? :) So excited for you!!
Good for you going natural! My mom had her first kids completely knocked out (that's howthey did it in the 60's) and then the third she didn't have time for medicine. She liked it so much better that she delivered the rest of us (7 more) with no drugs. I had to have a c-section with both my boys so I was very happy to have medicine. I really just wanted to say don't be mad or dissapointed with yourself if something happens and you do need medicine.
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