Leg Cramps and Fish Tea

I have leg cramps in my right leg. And they are painful and all-consuming and last days and days and days. I tried foot baths and elevating my feet and drinking lots of water, all without any alleviation.

So Chris the Doula suggested I try some nettle tea, as it helps leg cramps. So...yesterday I went to the health food store and bought some stinging nettles to make into tea, and today after school I steeped the nettles. While I was waiting for the tea to be ready, I busied myself putting away dishes, and as I did, I could smell a strong fishy smell near the sink. I sniffed around, thinking Dave had made a tuna fish sandwich for lunch, or something was rotting in the garbage, or... no. It was the nettle tea. It smells like fish. And anyone who knows me knows that fish is not my friend.

I added honey to the tea, and it doesn't taste that bad (although I do detect some fishiness). The smell, though, is almost over-powering.

Leg cramps or fish tea? Right now the leg cramps are so bad that I'm holding my nose and drinking the steaming, smelly liquid. But really... is there any better way to torture me than fish tea?

Our Doula, Chris

Dave and I have hired a doula (pronounced doo-lah) for our labor & delivery. Her name is Chris, she has two children of her own, and she will be with us for the full labor & delivery. Doulas provide education, experience, & emotional support for laboring parents, and they also provide post-partum services/ newborn care. Doulas are not midwives, but labor assistants - they know all those little secrets to childbirth, such as helpful labor positions that use gravity rather than sheer pushing force.

Studies have found that doula-assistance decreases the rate of cesarean birth by 50%, decreases the amount of laboring time by 25%, and decreases the need for pain medication by 30%. Doulas also provide support to labor partners - Dave is so emotionally-invested in the birth that we had some worries that Dave might not react logically during the birth, but instead instinctively (you've started contractions? Let's go to the hospital NOW instead of staying home for the next 8 hours, just in case...).

I had first heard of doulas when we lived in California - a high school friend of Ouida's told me that his girlfriend was training to be a doula, and after a brief conversation, I realized that either I wanted to be a doula or else I wanted a doula with me during my labor. Seeing as how I am going to be a lawyer instead, I guess I get option B.

Central New York has an extensive doula network - some of the doulas are trained & certified, and others are in the process of gaining enough experience. Chris has asked if a doula-in-training can attend our birth as well, so actually there will be four of us in the room: me, Dave, Chris, and the Doula-in-Training.

Dave and Baby Have Their First Private Moment

If you don't already know this, Dave is a big political junkie, and Super Tuesday was the first time either of us have voted in a primary during an election year. And Dave was excited. And Dave didn't want to go to bed last night because he didn't know how California had voted yet in either the Republican or Democratic primaries. So I went to bed, and Dave stayed in the living room and flipped back and forth through the TV channels hunting for results until he finally got some answers.

In the meantime, I fell soundly asleep.

Dave then got into bed, and I was on fire! Hot, hot, hot. And Dave was kind of cold, so he snuggled up next to me to use my body as a radiator, and in the process, put his hand on the belly. And what a surprise! The baby started kicking, rumbling and tumbling, and Dave lay there feeling the baby's movement for a good five minutes. All the while, I was completely asleep - thus, it was the first time that Dave and baby have had a private moment to themselves. I like to imagine what Dave looked like as he held his hand to my tummy, what Dave felt with his hand, how thrilling it must have been for him to have this little moment with his child.

Look What Three Weeks Can Do!

Well. I thought that I wasn't really growing that much, and then I decided to take a picture this evening to post on the blog... and WOW! The top picture is at week 25, and the bottom picture (taken today) is week 28. I can't believe how much we've grown!!!

ps - do you like my pregnancy pants? Hallelujah for spandex! Mom bought these for me at Pea in the Pod, in case anyone's interested.

pps - click on the photos to enlarge them, if necessary

I Fall in Love with My Tummy

Generally I've been sort of gawking at my pregnant tummy so far. I didn't feel very attached to it - instead I've felt attached to the baby. But the belly? Ugh. The tummy was in the way, it made me feel overweight, it hurt my back... And when I sat down, it deflated like a balloon. Bleh.

I've felt attached to the baby for some time now, but the belly was its own thing - it was the outward manifestation of the pregnancy, whereas the baby was a little person growing inside. And in my mind, those were two different issues.

This morning as I toweled off after my shower, I took a good hard look in the mirror, and I didn't feel revulsion or embarrassment at all. Instead I felt a little part of my heart turn to complete mush. I fell in love with my tummy this morning.

Can Baby Pick a Superbowl Winner?

We're not sure who the baby will root for today in the Superbowl - the NY Giants or the NE Patriots? Dave's a Jets fan (please give him a little love, as he is disappointed season after season). I haven't decided whom to root for yet - the underdogs? Or support a team that's chasing perfection? I think I'll wait until kickoff to pledge my allegiance.

But the baby... the baby lets itself be known at certain times. The baby loves Professor Kelder, who makes funny voices when describing Constitutional Criminal Procedure Supreme Court Cases. The baby is silent when I talk in class. The baby thinks Neil Young songs played by Dave on the guitar are incredible. The baby doesn't seem to care for the radio. So we're going to have a little experiment today to determine how this baby roots in the Superbowl contest. Will baby flip for Tom Brady? Punch me in the ribs after Eli Manning makes a pass? We'll see what happens, and whether baby's responses lead to Superbowl victory. (If this works, Dave and I are heading to the Turning Stone Casino tonight to gamble! I'll never be a gambler, but maybe baby knows something I don't about roulette?)

Welcome to the Third Trimester!

Here we are! The third trimester! Hooray!

This information means the following:
1. We attend ob appointments every two weeks until the end of March, and then our appointments occur every week until delivery
2. We only have 12 weeks to go (give or take)
3. I'll probably gain about 1 lb a week from now on
4. The baby has a very good chance of surviving if born at this point
5. We have a lot to do from now until then

Today we had an ob appointment, and I've gained twenty pounds since August. That explains why my back is so sore -- all that weight is right out front. I feel bad for men with big beer bellies. But not as bad as I feel for pregnant women!

We also learned that my stomach is measuring at 30 weeks rather than 28 weeks. No one has really explained what that means, nor is this the first time we've been told as much. At our 20 week sonogram the baby was measuring at 21.5 weeks, but they decided not to change our due date. Today I again asked if they would change our due date, to which we were told no. So what's the point of being told we're measuring two weeks farther along??? I don't really know. The problem with today's medical technology is definitely TMI -- too much information. I'm glad they tell us so much, but then I wonder what I'm supposed to get out of the information, besides concern and curiosity. I'm not worried about this new info, but I am a little tired of being told medical info to which there is no point. If the info could help me plan my school schedule a little better and be better prepared in the event I went into labor two weeks early, then I would welcome the news. But to receive this info and then be told, "It's just something to be aware of," strikes me as false. Why should I be aware of it if I'm not supposed to DO anything with the info? Besides write grumpy rumblings on our baby blog???