Dear Friends and Family,
Where are we at now? 37 down, anytime in the next 5 weeks.
Pass the sparkling apple cider! Pioneer and the rest of us have made it to term. After all of the fun and games of the past month and half, it feels good just to be able to say that.
Now, "all" that's left are the fun and games of labor and delivery. I still worry that something can still go wrong. I guess there's no getting rid of that feeling. There's always some risk. I had a friend lose a baby at term, so, for me, it feels like a real risk, not just a hypothetical risk.
This is hard to believe, but I may miss being pregnant. For all the extra ultrasounds and hospital visits and everything, Pioneer wasn't too hard on me. And, it's been fun feeling them move and grow and sharing the bond we've been sharing. I'll miss that once they're born.
Symptoms? Let's see. There's the false labor pains which I'm convinced are still doing the job of getting the cervix ready for what's to come. There's the shortness of breath which comes in fits and bursts every now and then. There's "the burpies" which seem to be acid reflux related and are a sign that I should have eaten dinner 30 minutes ago. And, fortunately for all of us, the stretch mark crisis seems to have passed. Belly's stayed nice and smooth after that scare that morning. Guess the band and the lotion helped prevent that one. Knock on wood.
I hope to cover our birth plan with the doctor this morning. I've kept it very simple: prefer a vaginal delivery unless a c-section becomes medically necessary; prefer an epidural for pain management, but only for the later stages of labor; prefer NO episiotomy, if at all possible; want Mr. mouse to be able to cut the cord, if possible; want Mr. mouse to be able to hold Pioneer for a moment before all of the tests begin, if possible; and want Pioneer circumcised if he's a boy. I think that covers it. Hopefully our doctor thinks it's reasonable. Mr. mouse doesn't think it'll be an issue.
I also hope to get the clearance today for some more flexibility - like to take some long walks and stuff, now that Pioneer's at term. We'll see what the doctor says.
Baby
Your baby is about 21 inches from head to toe and weighs about 6.8 pounds. Most of the baby's downy hair, lanugo, and whitish coating, vernix, is disappearing. Your baby is getting its antibodies from you to protect against illness. Baby's growth is slowing, but fat cells under skin get plumper for life outside the womb. Almost ready for birth, your baby would do well if born now.
Mom-to-Be
You're probably not getting any bigger, but you may be feeling more uncomfortable. Make sure you have a bag packed. It won't be long now -- 95% of all babies are born within two weeks of their mother's due date.
Tip for the Week
Consider whether you'll circumcise your baby if it's a boy. Circumcision isn't as much a medical issue as a cultural or religious one.
Cheers!
mouse
Where are we at now? 37 down, anytime in the next 5 weeks.
Pass the sparkling apple cider! Pioneer and the rest of us have made it to term. After all of the fun and games of the past month and half, it feels good just to be able to say that.
Now, "all" that's left are the fun and games of labor and delivery. I still worry that something can still go wrong. I guess there's no getting rid of that feeling. There's always some risk. I had a friend lose a baby at term, so, for me, it feels like a real risk, not just a hypothetical risk.
This is hard to believe, but I may miss being pregnant. For all the extra ultrasounds and hospital visits and everything, Pioneer wasn't too hard on me. And, it's been fun feeling them move and grow and sharing the bond we've been sharing. I'll miss that once they're born.
Symptoms? Let's see. There's the false labor pains which I'm convinced are still doing the job of getting the cervix ready for what's to come. There's the shortness of breath which comes in fits and bursts every now and then. There's "the burpies" which seem to be acid reflux related and are a sign that I should have eaten dinner 30 minutes ago. And, fortunately for all of us, the stretch mark crisis seems to have passed. Belly's stayed nice and smooth after that scare that morning. Guess the band and the lotion helped prevent that one. Knock on wood.
I hope to cover our birth plan with the doctor this morning. I've kept it very simple: prefer a vaginal delivery unless a c-section becomes medically necessary; prefer an epidural for pain management, but only for the later stages of labor; prefer NO episiotomy, if at all possible; want Mr. mouse to be able to cut the cord, if possible; want Mr. mouse to be able to hold Pioneer for a moment before all of the tests begin, if possible; and want Pioneer circumcised if he's a boy. I think that covers it. Hopefully our doctor thinks it's reasonable. Mr. mouse doesn't think it'll be an issue.
I also hope to get the clearance today for some more flexibility - like to take some long walks and stuff, now that Pioneer's at term. We'll see what the doctor says.
Baby
Your baby is about 21 inches from head to toe and weighs about 6.8 pounds. Most of the baby's downy hair, lanugo, and whitish coating, vernix, is disappearing. Your baby is getting its antibodies from you to protect against illness. Baby's growth is slowing, but fat cells under skin get plumper for life outside the womb. Almost ready for birth, your baby would do well if born now.
Mom-to-Be
You're probably not getting any bigger, but you may be feeling more uncomfortable. Make sure you have a bag packed. It won't be long now -- 95% of all babies are born within two weeks of their mother's due date.
Tip for the Week
Consider whether you'll circumcise your baby if it's a boy. Circumcision isn't as much a medical issue as a cultural or religious one.
Cheers!
mouse
Posts
3 comments:
Hi Mouse,
I know your blog is probably primarily for family and friends, but I did come across it by chance and I just wanted to ask you, why do you want to circumcise?
I don't want to accost you or make you feel bad, but I do want you to think VERY carefully about that choice. Many doctors are against it now, and I would hate for you to have to explain to your son one day why his foreskin was taken away from him.
If you watch nothing else, please watch this Jewish mom, Miriam Pollock, talk about how much she regrets her son's circumcisions
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfnqN3YgTd8
doctorsopposingcircumcision.org
jewsagainstcircumcision.org
mothersagainstcircumcision.org
studentsforgenitalintegrity.org
Dr. Dean Edell
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHVvB1oHAgg
Penn and Teller's Bullshit: Circumcision
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIZLna_uzLQ
I can see that you are going to make a great mom! You seem to have thought everything through. I am glad to see that you're planning to skip the c-section unless it becomes necessary! :D
I guess I am here posting for the same reason as the above commenter. I think our culture makes this procedure seem pretty normal, and no big deal. But its extremely painful, and even when they do use some pain medication for a baby, its still going to hurt for days after in a dirty diaper. It may seem obvious (but apparently people used to always believe otherwise) but studies have shown that infants do feel pain at LEAST as intensely as adults. One study monitored the heart-rates of infants being circumcised, and it was so intense, they had to stop the study!
They wrote about it on CNN, if you want to see the story:
http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/9712/23/circumcision.anesthetic/
the point is, it hurts them just as much as if they were older, but they don't even know WHY they are in such pain!
and it ISNT medically necessary. The American Academy of Pediatrics says its unnecessary, and in Canada, all our organizations say it is unnecessary as well. And across the world, this procedure is very rare (and people are doing fine).
Did you know that the foreskin contains thousands upon thousands of fine-touch nerve endings similar to those found in the lips and finger tips? Besides pleasure, the foreskin is also protective (of the head and urethra) from abrasion, extreme heat or cold, etc.
The foreskin has other functions as well, but I think the point is that it is a useful and sensitive enough body part that I TRULY believe, if you do have a son, you should let HIM decide what is right for his body, when he is old enough. Chance are, he'll be glad you gave him the opportunity to experience life with his entire penis.
I can tell you want what is best for your child, and that DOES make you a great mother, no matter what. But maybe if you do think about this issue some more, you'll begin to see why circumcision is not such a good idea.
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