Names

So far, Jeff and I have not agreed on a single name for more than two hours. However, I know the baby will eventually be named one way or the other, so I'm not too worried. The other night I dreamt that the baby was the reincarnation of a Spanish comedian named Roberto Gonzales who lived during the Franco regime. How specific is that? I actually looked up Roberto Gonzales and Franco on the web, but I didn't find any reference to comedians. Anyway, even if the baby is the reincarnation of a Spanish humorist, I doubt we will name him (or her!) Roberto.

The novelty has worn off

OK, I have to say that the novelty of this whole pregnancy thing has begun to wear off. I don't need to hear one more person tell me that I look like I'm going to pop, or that I must be having twins, or that the baby will be a linebacker fer sure. I am ready to sleep without feeling the red-hot dagger of a pinched nerve under my ribs. I am ready to sleep without having to rearrange four different pillows each time I turn over. I am ready to sleep facing Jeff instead of away from him, because it's uncomfortable for me to sleep on my left side. I'm ready for a glass of wine, a real mojito, a beer. Most of all I'm ready to get some exercise (besides swimming) - specifically, for a nice long hike in the woods. Seven more weeks to go.

Upside Down

Last week my midwife encouraged me to start taking action to turn the baby upside down. (Last we checked, it was still proudly head-up - and I can't say I blame it for not wanting to hang upside down for eight more weeks). Anyway, one way to turn the baby upside down is to do handstands in the swimming pool. I dutifully went to the pool - a kind of strange 1950s style pool under a huge dome. I informed the lifeguard that I was going to be upside down a lot and not to worry. Then I plugged my nose with my new nose-plugger device and down I went. Well, first of all, it's not as easy doing handstands as it used to be. Second, I still require a lot of oxygen, so I wasn't able to stay under for very long. It seems like you would need to stay under for at least a minute or two to get the baby to consider flipping. I did about 10-15 handstands, but I didn't feel the baby move at all. I did notice some strange looks when a new lifeguard came on duty.

One more thing... when you go swimming it's always nice to bring a towel for drying off. I forgot mine, and had to drip-dry in the changing room.

Alien IV

Baby is moving more and more every day, and now I'm feeling body parts against the inside of my belly. Last night I yelped because it felt like baby was trying to get out (the wrong way). I know it's supposed to be beautiful and everything, but let's face it... there is something alive inside of me. Scary.

"Relaxation" Class

So last night I went to my "relaxation in birthing" class. When I signed up for it I got the impression that it was a class for moms only, or at least that partners were optional. After all, the class focused on hypnobirthing, which is really something that goes on inside of the mom, right? So I didn't even ask Jeff to attend; I figured it would be fine just to go by myself.

Well, I wandered at 6:25, comfortably early, and it turns out that a) the class started at 6:00; b) everyone there had a husband with them; c) they were just finishing up introductions. As I absorbed all this the instructor asked me a bunch of questions about my fears related to birthing. I was busy taking off my coat and trying to unravel what was going on, so I wasn't really in touch with my deepest birthing fears at the moment. I blurted something out about not really having any specific fears (which, in a way, is true) and everyone looked at me like I was from another planet.

The first half of the class was about identifying your fears (she seemed to think everyone was extremely fearful), and about how fears are created and amplified by the brain. We drew pictures of our fears (using our non-dominant hand) and surrounded these with pictures of things that alleviate our fears. (I'm sure Jeff is glad he missed this part).

Next, we were taught some affirmations and breathing exercises, and visualizations that proved to be pretty useful. First, she had us sit for a minute (the length of one contraction) doing nothing at all to distract ourselves. Then she had us sit and focus on our breathing for one minute, which made the time go much faster. Finally, she had us focus on our "happy place" and examine all the details that make our happy place so happy. For me, those details include water lilies, rocky outcroppings and a bamboo hut. That made the minute go by so much faster that I thought she was cheating and only giving us 30 seconds!

The third part of the class was couple time. The husbands (or boyfriends, I suppose) all massaged their women while I sat there feeling stupid. The teacher kept using inclusive language about alternative birthing partners, presumably so I wouldn't feel left out. Finally she just asked me if I *had* a birthing partner, which I assured her I did. No, I am not doing this *completely* alone!

Finally, she led us through a 45-minute guided visualization while we all lay on the floor in the dark. (Not so comfortable for a pregnant woman; of course, I had forgotten to bring a blanket or a pad, though she had some for us to borrow). I started drifting off a couple of times so I really don't know how much the hypnosis affected me. I am somewhat skepical of hypnosis, but I'm always willing to try again.

Anyway, that was my first birthing class. The next class we're taking is all about infant care, and Jeff will be with me. Then we're having a 3-hour private birthing class at home. We didn't plan it that way, but that's how it's working out. Finally, I'm hoping to take a "Ninth Moon" class for women in the ninth month of pregnancy. I guess I should check and make sure that husbands aren't required for that class as well.

A typical visit to the midwife

I went to visit my naturopathic doctor/midwife yesterday. She had two students with her, so it was sort of a group consultation. First she sat me down and asked me if I had any questions. I had many: what exactly will you be doing during the birthing process? What is the role of the backup midwife? Is it OK if Jeff goes on a ski trip on March 18, or should I ask him to stay around? Is anyone else planning a birth around the same time as me (and possibly creating competition for the birthing room?) What is your take on Vitamin K and eye drops for the baby? And on and on. I asked her if I really WAS huge for 29 weeks (as any number of people have told me), and she said no, I look like a typical 29-week mama.

Next, she asked me about my diet. I had been keeping track (see below) so she and the students looked over my list, proclaimed it good, but said that I should probably be getting more protein. (I went out immediately afterward and had a hamburger). She asked me about various symptoms I might have (headache, gastric problems, etc.) Apart from a pinched nerve under my ribcage, some lower back pain, and a lot of burping, I have been pretty free of irritating symptoms.

After this they asked me to lay down so they could measure the baby. My belly now measures 31 cm., which is about 1 cm larger than normal for 30 weeks, but certainly not outside the normal range. They listened to the baby's heartbeat (144?) and felt around to determine the baby's position. They were having a hard time distinguishing between the baby's head and its butt, but finally concluded that the baby is still head up, with its back along my right side. Apparently they don't start worrying about the baby being breech until 36 weeks, but she told me I should have a talk with the baby and tell it to turn over. So baby, if you're reading this blog... it's time to turn!

They also checked me for swelling, and said I was having a little swelling of the ankles. Apparently this is normal for the third trimester, but can also be caused by not enough protein in the diet.

The last thing she did was weigh me. My weight had jumped a bit since my last appointment, but she wasn't worried. She said that some of it was probably water weight because of the swelling. We made an appointment for two weeks away (appointments come every two weeks from now on!).

So there you have it - a typical visit to the midwife. It sounds a lot different than most of the OB appointments I've been hearing about, which usually take about 5 minutes. I really am glad that I made the choice to go to this birthing center.

Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Husayni Sistani

I had a dream last night that Ayatollah Sistani was sitting on my bed (in full Ayatollah gear) while I picked out something to wear for dinner. He was taking my family out to dinner as part of a goodwill mission to Oregon. He was very good natured, with a great sense of humor and twinkling eyes. We were discussing whether American women should adopt a strict Islamic dress code. He was trying to convince me that I should keep my arms and legs covered, and I was trying to explain to him that that wouldn't go over very well here. However, to please him I put on a long white gown with a flowing black robe over the top. I remember being very impressed that Sistani was visiting us, because I remember hearing that he was important to Iraq's future. It occurred to me that we might be in danger for hosting him at our house, but it didn't seem to matter. He exuded such an aura of calmness and wisdom. (Could this be because I was reading a book about the Buddha before I went to bed?)

Gotta love those pregnancy dreams.

What I ate today

I'm keeping track of this today because I have an appointment with my midwife tomorrow and she always asks me what I ate the day before. So...

One bowl of organic raisin bran w/organic milk
A sugar free butterscotch candy
Various mixed nuts (I ate so many I felt sick...and skipped lunch)
Yogurt with meusli (3:00)
A granny smith apple (3:50)
Half a cup of bad lukewarm coffee (3:50)
40 oz. water (so far) (3:50)
A slice of veggie pizza (at the Laurelhurst, while watching "Garden State")
A glass of OJ
A green salad (while watching bellydancing at It's a Beautiful Pizza)
An O'Doul's (you know, they're really not too bad!)
A slice of whole wheat toast w/butter (bedtime snack)
A glass of milk (bedtime snack)

That's it for Wednesday, February 2.