19 Weeks

Wow, y'all.  So sorry it's been so long since I posted.  I was out of internet for a while, we're moving (more on that later), Wilson's been gone and home and gone again so freakin' often...yeah.  No offense but blogging wasn't on the top of the priority list.  But here we are, blogging on location from Newport, RI where I'm visiting the hubs for a week.  Woo to the hoo!!

Also, I realize that 19 weeks is a weird one to pick.  However, week 20 is going to be crazy hectic and I wanted to get this up while I had time.

Nausea/Cravings

Ok, so I was never super-nauseous.  It's just that my gag reflex is really sensitive and that's starting to settle down.  The only times I've actually gotten nauseous are when I break my normal breakfast routine in a big way.  Like, nothing but juice until 11:30am.  Or a greasy Egg McMuffin and too-sweet iced coffee at 6am.  Bad decisions, granted, but nothing that would've given me any trouble pre-preggo.

I really haven't gotten any weird cravings.  I mean, I really enjoy a pickle these days and I almost drove to South Carolina the other day to get me some Chik-N-Snak, but nothing too bizarre.  (Chik-N-Snak is in Graniteville for those of y'all in the area, and it's amazing.  For reals.)

Mah Girlish Figure

I'm actually starting to show!!  Just a small little bump but definitely there.  I made the switch 2 weeks ago to maternity jeans and my life is forever changed.  Why didn't anyone ever tell me these things were so freakin' comfortable?!  Please, if you haven't ever been pregnant, ignore those well-meaning folks who tell you to just unbutton your jeans.  I mean, do that if you have to as you drive to the store to buy maternity jeans.  Just do it.  You'll thank me.

Pain/Cramping 

None.

Skin 

Almost clear as a bell.  The other day someone asked me (over the phone) if I was glowing yet.  Um...I don't really know what that "glow" looks like, so I can't say.  Any thoughts, local friends?

Sleeping

Not uncomfortable yet but I can see us heading that way.  I really want to sleep on my back but it freaks me out because you're not supposed to lay flat on your back after the first trimester.  (The baby can compress the umbilical cord.)  That's gonna be a question at my next midwifery visit.  =)

Fetal Movement

It's there! Yes! Check! Positive!! Yay for feeling my little babycakes move!!  Ok, so here's the story...'long about 16 weeks I thought I felt a little something.  Like, it felt similar to bubbles popping or carbonation along the inside of my belly.  I got kinda excited but then, nothing.  For days, then a week.  So I wrote it off and moved on with my life.  But THEN last week (Oct 11 to be exact) I was laying in bed, trying to pay attention and see if I felt anything.  I thought I felt little flutters here and there, enough that I didn't think it could be anything else but not so much that I couldn't be sure it wasn't my imagination.  And then, WHACK!  A very distinct tap.  It was like the baby was going, "HEY! Quit psyching yourself out; it's really me!!"  I just grinned and glowed and called Wilson the next day to let him know.  So exciting.

Almost every day since then I've felt more and more movement.  It's to the point now that I can kinda tell the baby's sleep/wake cycle.  Pretty cool, folks.  Pretty darn cool.

The Hubster

I had to put this new category in, because Wilson really deserves his own spot.  It's killing him to be away for these big moments but he's been around for some stuff this week that I think makes him feel a little closer to the action.  Like, when he got to see me puke yesterday.  See, I have only ever thrown up when he's been gone because it throws my schedule off.  I eat differently and at strange times so it would upset my tummy.  But he had never been around when I've been sick...until yesterday.  Welcome, my love, to the joys of pregnancy!!

Also, he got to feel the baby move this weekend!!  Every time I would get 2 taps in a row I'd take his hand and put it on my belly and tell him to wait and pay attention...and baby would immediately go completely still.  For, like, 30 minutes at a time.  Grrr...c'mon, little one! (Is this a sign of what's to come??)  Well, Sunday night (10/16) I felt 3 taps right in a row in the same spot.  When I took Wilson's hand he heaved a big sigh and put down his book to pay attention.  He was telling me that he thought he felt a little fluttering or something when he suddenly gasped and his eyes got big.  He looked at me and said, "There!  That's what I expected it to feel like!"  And the baby kept on "tapping" him...Wilson caught his breath every time.  And I died.  I love this man!!

Overall State of Mind

I've officially entered that blissful state of second-trimester.  I'm feeling pregnant, have energy again, and am loving every minute of this.  This pregnancy has been wonderful so far and I'm praising God for His provision and care.  It's unbelievable how He allows us to participate in His miracles.  I'm truly in awe of this whole process.

Babycakes is 5 inches long this week and weighs 1/2 lb.

(Yes, I know babycakes is kinda a weird nickname, but "Baby Miles"sounds like a boy and The Little One is too impersonal.  We still haven't really come up with a nickname, but I'm going with this for now, mmm k?)

(Pictures to follow.  They've been taken, but the camera cord is in the truck, which is at the Navy Base while I'm at the apartment.  Yay for good planning!)

The Midwife Post

I know I've been promising it for a while and here it is!  The answer to the question everyone asks:
"Leigh Anne, why oh why did you choose to see a midwife instead of a real doctor??"

First of all, let me answer a more basic question, "What exactly is a midwife?"  I think many people picture midwives either as Hebrew women refusing to throw babies into the Nile or untrained/minimally trained women who deliver babies primarily in the home.  While the both images are correct historically, neither are true of midwives today.  In the interest of specificity (booyah, big words!) I should clarify that I'm seeing a Nurse-Midwife, which is the nationally board-certified variety of midwife.  Some facts about Nurse-Midwives:

*Certified nurse-midwives are registered nurses who have completed graduate-level training in midwifery and who have passed a national certification exam.
*Nurse-midwifery practice is legal in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
*Nurse-midwives can prescribe medication in 50 states and the District of Columbia.
*Nurse-midwives practice in homes, birth centers, clinics, and hospitals.
(http://www.mymidwife.org/Midwifery-101)

Question? Comments? Concerns?  Ok then...moving on.

Why did I choose to see a midwife instead of an OB/GYN?
1. I am comfortable with the care that a midwife provides.  I am a nurse and some of my professors were midwives so I've seen how rigorous their training is and know their philosophy of care.  I've also been to a nurse practitioner for "normal" care and a nurse midwife is nothing but a NP for pregnant ladies.  So, I had no qualms about trusting a midwife to take care of me.

2. Midwives practice under the auspices of OB/GYNs.  So if I need more involved care, it's readily available.

3. Pregnancy is not an unhealthy state of being.  Doctors of all varieties (family medicine, cardiology, surgeons, ob/gyn, etc.) are trained in dealing with sick people.  They're taught how to spot problems and fix them.  NPs and CNMs (Certified Nurse Midwives) are taught to spot problems and refer to a doctor when needed.  That's why these nurses are so popular for "well-care".  As nurses, we are trained to care for people, not illnesses.  When you're ill, you need someone to fix your problem!  If you aren't ill, well...ya just need someone watching your back.  I'm pregnant, not sick.  My CNM will screen me for gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and all of those pregnancy-related issues that can crop up.  If I develop any problems, they'll either treat me or refer me to one of their ob doctors.

4. CNMs have a record of fewer interventions in labor and delivery.  Yes, folks, I'm one of those "crazy ladies" who wants to do this with as few interventions (induction, epidural, etc.) as possible.*  Midwives are generally speaking more accepting and prepared for this approach than an OB doctor.  OB/GYNs are trained surgeons.  They do c-sections almost daily.  I don't want someone who is so used to having patients with epidurals and sedation that they don't know what to do with me.  I want someone to deliver me who is willing to let me move around with only intermittent monitoring, isn't afraid of a little moaning and groaning, and who will support my desires by not offering me medicine.  (UNLESS, of course, it's needed.  I'm totally aware of the fact that many many many things can hinder a plan like this and if, say, the baby is breach, I'm fully prepared for the possibility of a c-section.  I just...would like to avoid those types of things if I can.)  Midwives are trained with a focus on normal labor and delivery.  They can manage most interventions (i.e. epidural) but are more likely than an OB to try natural pain management techniques first.

So, to sum up: "Midwives approach birth, puberty, and menopause as normal life events rather than potential medical emergencies. These are times when women need special education or support, but nobody needs to cure or fix them. Midwives believe that if women are given the correct information, they can make safe and satisfying choices.  Midwives are trained to recognize complications early and refer you for appropriate care. In a midwife you’ll find the best of health care and human support in one savvy professional." (http://www.mymidwife.org/Midwifery-101)


*A note on natural childbirth: Again, my reasons for going this route revolve around #3 above.  Pregnancy is not a "sick" state.  It's a totally normal phase in a woman's life and my body was designed to carry and deliver a baby.  Women have been giving birth forever!  Labor is not a "problem" that needs to be "fixed" with medicine.  Also, part of the labor and delivery process is a series of hormones that are released.  Right after birth is the biggest endorphin (happy hormone) rush that you'll ever get.  This helps you bond w/ baby.  Pain meds and such interrupt that natural cycle so you don't get that hormone rush.  I want to feel the rush, man!

Ok, I think those are the biggest reasons for my choice.  I welcome your comments, questions, and suggestions!  I know this can be a touchy topic and the last thing I want is to offend anyone.  Thoughts, folks?

How do you feel?

The hubs is asking me this on a daily basis these days.  The weird thing is....I feel fine!  I'm 6 weeks today (!) and, knock on wood, have been doing great.  However, I'm gonna take a cue from a friend of mine who just had a beautiful baby girl and keep a running list, just for organization's sake.

Nausea/Cravings
None, nada, zip.  Ok, except when I stay up too late. Then I get a tad bit queasy; easily rectified by going to bed already, you idiot!

No real cravings, just an aversion to anything fried.  Seriously, anything.  Yay for helping me stay healthy!  Plus I've decided that Wendy's sour cream and chive baked potatoes are The Best Thing Ever.  True story.

I can, also, smell everything within a three block radius.  I prefer to think of this as my pregnancy super-power.  Sitting on the sofa, "Um, honey, I think the dog pooped in the back bedroom.  Also, the neighbor's gardenias are in bloom."

Mah Girlish Figure 
Y'all, my poor tummy.  I have been kinda bloated lately and yikes! It shows.  Like, whoa.  Trying to hide it so people don't just think I'm fat since we haven't told anyone yet!

*Side note: We tell the family this weekend!!  I can't even believe it. Part of me thinks it's too soon, what with the high risk of dreaded miscarriage and all that.  But seriously Wilson is about to burst!  We've just gotta let them know.  Plus my primary care doc confirmed so it's not like we're just going off a pee stick here or anything....

Pain/Cramping
No pain or soreness from the "girls".  Cramping?  Eh, it's there, but nothing to write home about.  And no blood, that's the main thing.

Skin 
Yikes! I look 16 again, and not in a good way. 

Overall State of Mind
Actually I'm kinda ambiguous.  I know it sounds terrible but this all happened so fast that most days I think, "Seriously? I'm gonna have a what?  A BABY??"  I think part of that is because I'm not having crazy weird symptoms and haven't been to the midwife yet (yeah...more on the midwife thing later.  Promise.).  I keep telling myself, "That weird stuff will come. Enjoy this."  And I am! Really!  I just still kinda...don't know what to think.  But also super excited!  See?...ambiguous.

And...this week my baby's heart starts beating.  Wow y'all.  Wow.

 Please ignore the blurriness of these photos, and the awkward angle.  My husband is way taller than me!

 Better profile perspective.