Thursday, November 13, 2008

Childbirth Class


So we started our child birthing classes two weeks ago now. Joe had to work late so we missed last week, and seeing as how I'm in LA this week, its sort of hard to be there as well. But our first night was rather interesting. It was exciting for me, to get to see other preggers, hear how far along they are, look at the bellies and compare to my own. I know my husband was trying to be supportive and loving, but anything past seven thirty for the man is like asking for a miracle. So I would gently nudge him when I felt him slowly drifting out of reality and hear his low groan of a yawn. The instructor had us all introduce ourselves and our spouse, say how far along we are, what we would be doing if we wern't there, and what , to date, is the hardest part of pregnancy to tolerate.

So we start at the front, and couple after couple say " Hello, my name is _____. This is my husband ____. We are ___ along and ......" so on and so on. So it suddenly is our turn to share and I introduce myself and then my husband Joe. I say that I am about 30 weeks, and the hardest part to tolerate so far has been the weight gain and heartburn. My husband chimes in and says that if he were not in the class , that he would be sleeping. Naturally. =) Once again, going back to the whole when the sun goes down, his mind starts to shut off. But I loved hearing other couples stories, seeing how far along they were, noticing little things the husbands would do to show support and affection, and being in the presence of women who know EXACTLY what I am going through.

So at this point in my pregnancy, I am almost 31 weeks. Crazy huh? Taylor is kicking me like crazy lately, moving all around. I think I even saw a foot the other day. My ankles are starting to swell, and when I bend down I can feel the swelling due to fluid. I have started the deep breathing periodically to try and get a good breath in now and then. They say my uterus is about 4-5 inches above my belly button and that she weighs approximately 3 lbs. Such a big girl! I seriously cannot Waite to meet her and hold her for the first time. Its really starting to hit me that this is it....8 more weeks ......a mere two months.........what a wonderful miracle....


Baby at 31 weeks:

Your baby's arms , legs and body are finally proportional to her head. She weighs about 3 1/2 pounds and looks more like a newborn measuring 16 inches from crown to rump. You may notice baby isn't moving around as much ...dont worry, shes just running out of space. You can expect her to gain around 2 more pounds before birth.

Baby's organs continue to mature and she is passing water from her bladder. Soon you can wonder what your baby is wishing for- brain scans have shown that fetus's have periods of dream sleep around month 8...

You've probably gained 3-4 lbs this month. A pound a week is quite normal during the last few months as your baby has her final growth spurt before birth...

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