Week 29

Date/Week: October 27; week 29 (8 weeks (56 days) to C/S)

Total weight gain/loss: +3 (+22 lbs total)

Milestones: [B] Set-up the local shower registries. I also ha my milestone #2 treat - an afternoon at the spa. The reiki was amazing. I have a feeling that I'll be doing the massage/reiki for milestone #4. Finally, it appears we have a c-section date - December 22nd. Now we can focus on working towards that goal - plus we get to order our Christmas Tree now that we have a date!

Physical Progress: I'm still 'neat' even as the belly gets larger... 

Symptoms: feet and calf cramps; soreness in the pelvic area ; dry nose and nosebleeds; heartburn; mild siatica; nausea; leakage from the bbs and even more the regions below (I swear, I should buy stock in pantiliners...)

How do I feel about my body: I go back and forth between being in awe over the movements that I am feeling and frustration over my physical limitations and the pain. I often wonder what normal feels like. I also wonder if I will forget what it feels like to have someone moving inside of you.

Food cravings/aversions: cheese and crackers 


Sleep: between being kicked, having the white cat sleeping on me and running to the loo many times a night, I miss what it feels like to have a proper night's sleep. I would love to sleep in and actually sleep and feel rested at the end of it.

Energy level: I have energy for maybe 1/2 of the day. If I don't rest, I feel like I am falling apart. Weekends are tough because I am used to just going and going until everything is done and at the moment I can't do that.

Exercise: prenatal yoga; highland dancing I'm not jumping - really!); walking

Baby Movement: In addition to the kicking, he is also moving about and pushing his body parts out all over the place. Sometimes it startles me and sometimes it even tickles. When I am at work it is weird to feel so much movement while I am sitting still. Aidan is enjoying feeling the movement.

Thoughts and Feelings? I'm happy to have a c-section date but I am a little disappointed that I'll probably be in the hospital for Christmas. Aidan and I have discussed it and we know we'll make the best of it. Ultimately, it is the best Christmas present that anyone could have given us and we're just grateful to be experiencing this at such an amazing time of the year. And yes, the Christmas Season kicks off in our house after Guy Fawkes (Nov 5th) this year - and I plan to enjoy every second of it!

What I am looking forward to: doing the maternity shots with Aidan on October 28; baby shower on Nov 6; 4 holiday events between Nov 13 and Dec 9th (I have 3 dresses and they all look pretty good thus far); working towards milestone #3 (Nov 17) and #4 (Dec 15)!!!

What am I reading / things I’m learning: Reading about the oGTT since I have to take it on Oct 28th. I need to learn how to do the front wrap cross carry (fwcc) for my Didymos woven wrap and how to tie the knot on the rebozo.

Looks Like We Have A Date...

Doctor's appointment was good. It looks like I'll be having the c-section on December 22 at 37 weeks (he wanted to push me to full-term, which I expected he would do). December 29th is option #2 but he thinks he may be off Island for that date. He's consulting with my pediatrician and the high-risk OB in Boston and I will most likely end up receiving steroids for lung development in the lead up to that date. In any case, it looks like I'll be delivering at home but I may not be home for Christmas).

A Yo-Yo Type of Weekend

I meant to post this weekend but it has been nuts. The good thing is that I was able to visit many blogs this weekend. It was great fun getting to know new blogs and visiting other favorites! Saturday was going to be crazy since we were going to be helping at the fair for the girl guides. I went in for my wash/treatment/blow dry/flat iron at 8am and then got Hallowe'en candy before we headed to the fair. It was busy, as usual and I didn't even get to visit any stalls - I basically worked the entire time I was there. We did see Aidan's urologist there and he was so overjoyed when Aidan told him and then he saw me. He asked for a birth announcement because he said Aidan is like one of his kids (Aidan grew up with his kids). We said definitely.


In the afternoon, I went with my mom and my friend who is hosting the shower on Nov 6the to put together the local registry. It's so different from the US. They give you a shopping cart and you have to walk around and put what you'd like in the cart - then they put it aside and your guests come in and purchase something and take it with them. This is why you can only set it up two weeks before hand.Added to this, there's no one there to answer any questions. I found the experience somewhat disappointing... I couldn't believe the prices, the selection wasn't great for what was needed and we couldn't get any help. We decided to head to another store to see if we could find what this sotre didn't carry. The next store was even worse... they had so many things in storage for other ladies showers that I was told to come back on Tuesday. So tomorrow I'll go there during lunchtime. My mom and my friend showed me what they'd like for me to include in that registry but they were visably disappointed that we couldn't do anything. Oh well...

After going back to the fair and finishing up there we headed home in the evening to enjoy pizza and a few episodes of the last season of Bones. We unfortunately got a call later in the evening that Aidan's brother was taken to the hospital - it appears to have been a combination of heat exhaustion (he was out on a boat all day), dehydration and the seasickness meds he was on. We sort of lost interest in tv and spent a lot of time on line looking up drug interactions, etc. By midnight we heard that the hospital would be keeping him overnight so we had a restless night's sleep.

We were up early in the morning - had to get ready to have Aidan's family over for breakfast (we forgot to prepare the night before with all of the excitement). We then went to head out for church but the battery on the car was dead... bummer. Aidan soon discovered tht our newish maintenance free battery required maintenance (water). He called the church to say we were stuck and he couldn't sing for the morning mass and I started breakfast while he fiddled with the car. Everyone came over at the expected time (save SIL who went to the hospital) and literally inhaled breakfast. We had cinnamon rolls, fried eggs, back bacon, low sodium bacon, french toast (using italian bread), regular toast with butter and english preserves, pineapple juice, apple juice, and fresh strawberries, blueberries and rasberries. It was lovely to have everyone there and not as much work as when they come for dinner! In fact, the kitchen was clean and the dishes in the dishwasher before they left! We also took the vist as the opportunity to give Aidan's dad an angel for 2010 for his collection.

I then headed to the spa for my Milestone #2 treat. I had booked a 1 hour mother-to-be massage followed by 1/2 hour of reiki. I had a gift certificate for a pedicure that I was allowed to use towards the massage so I paid the difference and a gratuity ahead of time. I was taken to the locker room where I had a quick shower before putting on my robe an slippers and heading out to the lounge. The lounge was lovely - it overlooked the pool and the South Shore. It was an amazing view. I sat on one of the lounge chairs while flipping through Vogue (the fall fashions aren't that bad this year...). I was then called into the therapy room. The massage was lovely. She concentrated a lot on the knots in my shoulders and neck (no surprise there). Sproglet was going crazy during this part of the session. The reiki was the best part. I ended up falling asleep and even sproglet calmed down. I so didn't want to get up afterwards! I then went back to the lounge, had water and tea sandwiches while I enjoyed an issue of Vanity Fair and then reluctantly headed home.

We visited BIL at the hospital before dinner. He was bored out of his mind. He is scheduled for an MRI today and will hopefully be released thereafter. We kept him and SIL company for a while. The hospital sucks here because the visiting hours (particularly for spouses) end at 8pm - which means he had a very long night alone. I get to look forward to that in the Maternity ward.....

We had an early night because we were shattered. I had the weirdest thing to deal with before bed though - an ingrown eyelash. Aidan tried to get it out with tweesers but I couldn't stay still. Then I remembered what a make-up artist did with me for a fashon show I did way back when... I had Aidan put ambesol on my lash line with a q-tip. He was actually able to get the lash out with a needle (I shudder to think of what would have happened if I moved). It worked and didn't hurt a bit!

I realised at 6.30 this morning that there were emails I hadn't sent over the weekend so I was doing that before breakfast. Still, I've had a productive morning. I've caught up on just about everything. I've also made an appointment with my acupuncturist on friday since the siatica has been (literally) a pita - particularly down the back of my right thigh. And, of course, I see my OB tomorrow.... fingers crossed for a c/s date!

October ICLW - ABCs of ME (Revised)

I've been awful with ICLW recently - I blame lack of energy and concentration. I am really going to try and make a better effort this month because I truly love ICLW and getting to know some amazing people! So lets kick it off with a revised ABCs of Me.

A- Artemis - my white cat who basically rules the house. She has taken to sleeping on or near to my stomach at night which sproglet seems to love (it's the purring). Also Aidan, my DH (love him!!!)

B - Bermuda - that's where I was born and was raised. I lived abroad for 7 years and I came to appreciate the Island more because of that. Also, Bronwyn - my tri-colour cavalier king charles spaniel.

C - Czech Republic - I truly believe that I would not be pg today if we did not go there last year for our (failed) IVF cycle. It set the ball rolling for me to have my fibroids removed, etc.

D - Dancing - I am a certified highland dancing teacher. Unfortunately, I have been banned from dancing since June.

E - Ego - If I ever had one, the whole IF thing trounced it. Unfortunately, my confidence went along with it... working on building that aspect back up.

F - Fibroids- I had 10 removed via a robotic laprascopic myomectomy last December. It appears they were a major cause of our IF.

G - Google - Over the last 3 years, I have done way too many searches, which wer probably directly correlated to my mood swings!

H - Happy - I never thought that I would have to work at being happy. I can honestly say that I am thankful for the smallest things give me the feeling of happiness since I know what the bottom of the barrel feels liks.

I - Ireland - one of my favorite places to visit. Plus, Aidan has citizenship (and we'll have to put in the paperwork for sproglet once he is born).

J - Job - over the last three years my job has changed dramatically. I now aim to work at a job that I enjoy. That was my goal out of college but it appears that I lost my way over the years.

K - Kindle - I love mine. I love lying in bed and reading comfortably. Sure, I still love my regular books but I believe there is room for both in my life!

L - Love - I've learned more about love through our IF journey than I had in the last 20-odd years of dating, etc. I am truly blessed!

M - Marisa - my name, and yes, I do like it even through people often pronounce it incorrectly (it is Ma-re-sa, not Ma-riss-sa). Also, Matthias, my black cat.

N - New York - I spent a lot of time there as a child since my grandparents lived there. It is now one of my favorite places to visit, particularly since I love Broadway (but I will admit, I love Boston even more...).

O - Overwhelmed - I have felt this way many times in the last few years. Being pg has been a new dimension to being overwhelmed thanks to fear, knowing too much, needing to prepare and wondering what the future will bring.

P - Prolactin - The other reason for our IF, this time on DH's side. We still haven't figured this out but have not focused on it for a while. Perhaps the urologist will be visited in the new year to get this sorted out before it gets any worse. Also, Ptolemy, our ruby cavalier king charles spaniel (he thinks he's a cat).

Q - Quick - I want to say we were quick to do something about our IF but now that I have a frame of reference from our IF support group, we probably could have been quicker (and more focused) on demanding treatment.

R - Running - In preparation for our IVF cycle, we ran to get into better shape. We eventually did a 1/2 marathon - we sucked but it was great to accomplish it together.

S - Sproglet - We're going to meet him in about 8 weeks, at which point, he becomes a sprog.

T - Tea - My favorite is Earl Grey. I like green and white teas as well but I will be honest, I got into them because of TTC (Earl Grey is way better in my estimation!)

U - Undo - While I truly do believe that I wouldn't change anything that has happened in my life because it has made me who I am today, if pressed there are some events that I would love to undo because of the fact that I can see that those were the points where I started to lose myself.

V - Vienna - I have been there twice and I can't wait to go again. One of these days, I'll make it to their Christmas Market!

W - Walking - I really enjoy it and hope to get back into it next year.

X - Xavier - Ptolemy's middle name (to round them out, Artemis' middle name is Penelope, Matthias' is Barnabas and Bronwyn's is Anastacia)

Y - Yawn - I do that a lot nowadays. I so wish I could have a decent night's sleep - perhaps that will happen next June if I play my cards right...

Z - Zodiac - I was born on the cusp of Gemini and Cancer. That makes for an interesting personality!

Week 28

Date/Week: October 20; week 28 (9 weeks (63 days) to C/S)

Total weight gain/loss: 

Milestones: Milestones #2  We're one step closer to being able to deliver on Island. As of this week the hospital would be willing to deliver us. We're not sure if our OB is on the same page (he may want 32 weeks) but we'll find out when we see him on Tuesday morning. In any case, we're pretty psyched about reaching this goal!

We've attended a class that covered c-sections and the subsequent recovery and also met with our post-partum doula. I've also had a baby shower at work that showed me that I still really have no clue what I need in the house for a baby...

Physical Progress: The kicking and sleeping patterns are more consistent and at times body parts are starting to stick out - Aidan and I spent a bit of time over the weekend trying to identify which body part was protruding but couldn't agree on what it was. 

Symptoms: feet and calf cramps; soreness in the pelvic area and round ligament pain; dry nose and nosebleeds; heartburn; mild siatica; nausea (it's back!) 

How do I feel about my body:Looking at myself in the mirror before I get dresses, it is kind of weird to see how my belly fits into my frame. It's all rather neat and it makes sense when I think about how I move in yoga class. As for the boobage, I notice in the morning that they have leaked overnight now. I guess we're getting prepared for their new purpose...

Food cravings/aversions: Portuguese donuts 

Sleep: the weather has changed so it is more comfortable. The quality of my sleep still sucks though.

Energy level: I've been fighting a cold so I've felt like death warmed over...

Exercise: prenatal yoga; walking

Baby Movement: The kick counting is a bit better. His kicks and rolls are more definite. Aidan can feel them now and says it really makes everything seem more real. 

Thoughts and Feelings? I'm calmer than I was last week. Sure, we need to sort out the whole diaper changing station situation but other than that most things are ready - I even have some decent nursing nightgowns (Belabumbum - they're really lovely). I really would like to have a c/s date though because it is the ultimate goal for us to focus on. Still, as Aidan says, we have to take things day by day and week by week and we've been doing pretty well doing that too.

What I am looking forward to: setting up the shower registry on Oct 23 (or so) with my friend, my mom and my MIL; massage and reiki at 2pm on October 24; possibility of sorting out the c/s date on Oct 26; doing the maternity shots on October 28; baby shower on Nov 6; possibly wearing some dressy maternity gowns to some holiday events that are coming up (it remains to e seen how excited I'll be about these gowns); working towards milestone #3 (Nov 17)!!!

What am I reading / things I’m learning: Started reading 'Happiest Baby on the Block'; Learned how to tie a Moby Wrap

Plans with our Doula

The meeting today was good. We felt a bit more normal than yesterday. We've known our doula for a year as she is also the leader for the infertility support group that we're a part of. She's also a mom via IVF and in addition to the certs she has to be a doula and to lead the infertility support group, she is also a lactation consultant and she cloth diapers and an advocate for babywearing. All in all, he's a perfect match for us!


We had to do paperwork first and discuss how we're going to deal with the hospital part. We discussed having her there for the birth to support Aidan when I am in the recovery room and he thinks it's a good idea. We'll see what we have to do to have her listed as our birth doula with the hospital to have her there at that point. We also discussed aromatherapy for me while in the hospital to help with my anxiety (essential oil on a handkerchief) along with acupressure - again, great idea!

As for coming home, the discussion was useful. We need to have a plan for te first few days with the animals and how to introduce them to the baby. We've been familiarizing them with the baby stuff but we do need a plan for when the baby comes home. We then discussed breastfeeding holds that'll be good with my incision - it was an extension of the discussion at the session yesterday.

The piece that will take the most work is the changing table. Once we move it into place, we need to set it up to work for me with the incision. This may mean having to cover the edge that would come in contact with my belly if I had to reach. Also, I'd have to set up the drawers to make diapers more accessible. Related to that, we'd need to have diapers set up and ready to go to make life easier. She thinks the gdiapers are clever but likes the bumgenius the best out of the three types we have because there isn't any prep involved. She adores the newborn gdiapers though. We also need to sort out were to put the wet bag and hamper (forgot about that) for the room.

The bath arrangements (puj tub for kitchen or bathroom sink) was seen as good for the early weeks. We then discussed parents and how we're going to deal with the first month. Finally, we played around with the baby carriers and wraps before signing the paperwork. So hopefully, we'll get together again mid-November to go over the nursery and then we're set for December! She'll probably spend time with us 3 days a week for a few hours each time. It will definitely be more than enough since it will be the holiday season and we'll have both sets of parents coming by to help as well.

What happens once the classes are over???

Yesterday we went to the final baby prep class before sproglet graces up with his presence. Same as the other class, we only had to attend 1/2 of the programme since we aren't doing the labour then delivery part. The group had therefore been together for 6 hours last Saturday to do all of that. After we did introductions (there was another couple having a scheduled c-section in the class as well) we were split up for an exercise. It became very apparent to Aidan and me that we didn't feel nearly as prepared as 3/4 of the people in the class to even participate in the discussions. Part of it was due to the fact that we really haven't been reading up on things like pain meds, etc since I know I'm having a spinal but the depth of some of the discussions was quite impressive. We knew early on that we were in for a day!

That first exercise was on pain medications and then induction was covered in detail. Then came the c-section portion. The facilitator covered both scheduled and emergency c-sections and it was thorough and very useful. Both of us agreed at the end that it was exactly what we needed to feel more prepared for what we will be dealing with. After that, while most of the couples watched a birth DVD, we and 2 other couples met with a birth doula to go over post-c-section recovery and recognising labour signs. This piece was also excellent and probably more beneficial for the husbands because they seemed to realise that their role was going to be so critical when baby comes home. I also got advice on my birth plan. I do not need the delivery section because they do not have any options related to stitches, the spinal etc - thankfully, all of the things in the section that I wanted are standard. I can do the birth plan for post birth but there are some areas that are hospital policy and we therefore don't have a choice (i.e. we can't cut the cord in the OR; I can't nurse immediately after the birth because the recovery room is not just maternity, Aidan can only be there from 8a - 8p and the baby will be in the nursery overnight (except of feedings or requests from me to have him brought to me) since I will be bedridden with the catheter still in). Other than that, there are a few things that I can request. My hope is that it will be a very positive experience and that we're out of there in 3 days!

The rest of the afternoon was what happens when you go home. The facilitator covered parenting and relationship issues, crying, post-partum depression and life with baby. It was again, a lot of information. The relationship section caught a lot of the couples off guard. Many thought that having a baby made the relationship stronger but the stats indicated the opposite. There was therefore a great section on gains and losses to our relationship once baby comes and then discussion on how to continue to work on our relationships.

We went home a little overwhelmed. Aidan said that the class indicated to him how little he hows about what he is going to do when sproglet comes home. We both agreed that it seems that whenever we learn about something, we find out that there are 5 other things that we also need to figure out. We know that eventually we'll manage but it is kind of scary when you know that your child will be here in about 2 months max! Added to all of this, Aidan is now able to feel Sproglets kicks consistently from the outside. He said that it makes it seem even more real due to that.

So our countdown is on because we're done with all of the prep classes. We still have books to read, going to have to practice babywearing with my cabbage patch kid and need to finish packing the suitcase and looad it in the car (just in case). Oh boy... we're getting closer!