For the last two to three weeks we've been in a holding pattern waiting for that moment when Eli says to me "I think it's starting". We're still here and Pip's time is up.
She won't come out voluntarily (displaying the stubborn streak again - she gets that from her mom!) so we're going in there to get her!
Today we go for the euphemistically titled "induction". Pip gets her marching orders and one way or another she's coming out some time in the next day or so.
It's hard to describe my physical and emotional reaction to this... For the past two weeks I've been relatively calm and laid back about the prospect of a late night "get up you B**tard who did this to me and take me to the drugs... er... hospital!" but as that failed to surface and this day approached I got more and more nervous.
Yesterday I was a wreck! Giggling nervously like a little girl... sweaty palms... butterflies in the tummy. The works!
Today... I'm calm again! What's up with that? I can rationalise the calmness for the last few weeks (we're ready, it's gonna happen, save energy for the emergency) and I can also rationalise why I was increasingly nervous over the last few days (a hard deadline to look forward to rather than something which might happen) but I can't for the life of me figure out why I'm now calm again instead of more nervous (since the deadline is not yet passed).
The human body and mind are a strange fellowship.
Thursday 29 May 2008
Sunday 25 May 2008
The Waiting Game
These days, of course, we're sitting here waiting for the little miss who is late. I hope that won't be the story of her life..... The rest of the pregnancy was much the same: walking the dog with a bump that got heavier and heavier, heartburn of astronomic dimensions and ankles the size of footballs.
We had one little hickup. I got a craving for Kellogg's Frosties and ate them by the kilo. When I went for my check up I had sugar in my urine twice which meant I had to go and take a Glucose Tolerance Test. The fact that it was during the week my mum was here was just idiotic. I had to be at the hospital at 9am to have some blood taken, then I had to drink 500ml of Lucozade (why would anyone actually pay for that?), wait for three hours and then have some more blood taken. It's a good thing I had a good book with me as it was boring as hell. I wasn't allowed to eat or drink anything else, so the cafeteria was out and going home would just have taken too long.
The result of all of this was that everything was normal and I didn't have to worry about it.
A couple of weeks later I got a telephone call from the surgery in Brampton. Could I please come and pick up a prescription as I was slightly anaemic. Good girl that I am I did, went to the pharmacy and took my iron tablets: they wreaked havoc on my digestive system and when I complained to the midwife she couldn't understand why I got them in the first place. I don't think they were ever intended for me. It's a good thing they were "only" iron tablets.
Last week, we were back at the midwife's clinic where she performed a "sweep and stretch" (or as Joe calls it: a scratch and sniff) to hopefully start off labour in the next few days. It was incredibly painful and I don't think my reaction was quite what Leila and Donna expected: I was laughing my head off. That is my way of dealing with pain, so I think labour will be a very interesting and funny time for us....
We had one little hickup. I got a craving for Kellogg's Frosties and ate them by the kilo. When I went for my check up I had sugar in my urine twice which meant I had to go and take a Glucose Tolerance Test. The fact that it was during the week my mum was here was just idiotic. I had to be at the hospital at 9am to have some blood taken, then I had to drink 500ml of Lucozade (why would anyone actually pay for that?), wait for three hours and then have some more blood taken. It's a good thing I had a good book with me as it was boring as hell. I wasn't allowed to eat or drink anything else, so the cafeteria was out and going home would just have taken too long.
The result of all of this was that everything was normal and I didn't have to worry about it.
A couple of weeks later I got a telephone call from the surgery in Brampton. Could I please come and pick up a prescription as I was slightly anaemic. Good girl that I am I did, went to the pharmacy and took my iron tablets: they wreaked havoc on my digestive system and when I complained to the midwife she couldn't understand why I got them in the first place. I don't think they were ever intended for me. It's a good thing they were "only" iron tablets.
Last week, we were back at the midwife's clinic where she performed a "sweep and stretch" (or as Joe calls it: a scratch and sniff) to hopefully start off labour in the next few days. It was incredibly painful and I don't think my reaction was quite what Leila and Donna expected: I was laughing my head off. That is my way of dealing with pain, so I think labour will be a very interesting and funny time for us....
Wednesday 7 May 2008
What's this ear then?
First impressions, they say, are always the most lasting and and are one of the key determining factors in your relationship with that person for the future.
My first real encounter Pip therefore should probably ring a plethora of alarm bells.
For some days, Eli had been experiencing proper kicks and bumps from the rambunctious little rascal inside her tummy... I was largely unaware of these as there were (at those early stages) no external signs of it.
One evening while she was being kicked, Eli asked me to place my hand on her tummy. I did and nothing happened. Nothing continued to happen for a bit and it seemed that Pip had gone to sleep again.
I put my ear to the bump to hear what was going on inside... Very little. Some gurgling and swishing sounds. Next thing I know, I get a kick... a proper kick... into the ear! My little tiny baby (less than a Kilo at that stage) had decided, in utero, to kick her Dad in the head, had spun herself around and given me an almighty (for her size at the time) thump with her foot right into the ear!
It was a mixture of pride and trepidation that I felt. Pride that she'd been clever enough and aware of external stimulus enough to locate me, move around and give me a kick to say "Get off my bump!" and trepidation as to how our relationship is likely to progress for the future if that's how she treats me now :)
Incidentally, she repeated this performance a few days later at the next midwife session when they attempted to listen for her heartbeat with the heartbeat monitor. They tried dilligently to hear her heartbeat but every time they pressed the monitor into Eli's bump, Pip span around and gave it an almight kick with her foot. She kept this up for about 10 minutes before the midwife gave it up as a bad job.
We can learn three important things about Pip's personality from this...
First: She's very clever and aware of her surroundings.
Second: she's very very stubborn and pig headed.
Third: She's not adverse to using physical violence to get what she wants.
I'm not sure if any or all of the above are good things or bad... time (and bruises) will tell...
My first real encounter Pip therefore should probably ring a plethora of alarm bells.
For some days, Eli had been experiencing proper kicks and bumps from the rambunctious little rascal inside her tummy... I was largely unaware of these as there were (at those early stages) no external signs of it.
One evening while she was being kicked, Eli asked me to place my hand on her tummy. I did and nothing happened. Nothing continued to happen for a bit and it seemed that Pip had gone to sleep again.
I put my ear to the bump to hear what was going on inside... Very little. Some gurgling and swishing sounds. Next thing I know, I get a kick... a proper kick... into the ear! My little tiny baby (less than a Kilo at that stage) had decided, in utero, to kick her Dad in the head, had spun herself around and given me an almighty (for her size at the time) thump with her foot right into the ear!
It was a mixture of pride and trepidation that I felt. Pride that she'd been clever enough and aware of external stimulus enough to locate me, move around and give me a kick to say "Get off my bump!" and trepidation as to how our relationship is likely to progress for the future if that's how she treats me now :)
Incidentally, she repeated this performance a few days later at the next midwife session when they attempted to listen for her heartbeat with the heartbeat monitor. They tried dilligently to hear her heartbeat but every time they pressed the monitor into Eli's bump, Pip span around and gave it an almight kick with her foot. She kept this up for about 10 minutes before the midwife gave it up as a bad job.
We can learn three important things about Pip's personality from this...
First: She's very clever and aware of her surroundings.
Second: she's very very stubborn and pig headed.
Third: She's not adverse to using physical violence to get what she wants.
I'm not sure if any or all of the above are good things or bad... time (and bruises) will tell...
Monday 31 March 2008
What's in a name?
As do many parents, we have named the "bump". Some people use the term "bump", some call it "chicken", some call it "the goldfish" etc. etc. etc. If you've ever had a child, you'll know what I mean...
In our case, the name "Pip" came about when we bought our first "Your Pregnancy" book and researched the current state of the foetus (about 3 weeks in I think, but I could be wrong... Eli will correct me if I am!) and the text told us that at this point, it is the size of an apple pip.
The name just presented itself! Pip she's been since then.
If you're wondering why I always say "She" that's because I've been sure, since the very first that she's a girl... don't know why. We've since had that gender confirmed at a scan but of course it's possible (the sexing is only 98% accurate) that it could be a boy.
If so, I hope he likes pink... he's going to be wearing a lot of it for the first 2 years of his life :)
In our case, the name "Pip" came about when we bought our first "Your Pregnancy" book and researched the current state of the foetus (about 3 weeks in I think, but I could be wrong... Eli will correct me if I am!) and the text told us that at this point, it is the size of an apple pip.
The name just presented itself! Pip she's been since then.
If you're wondering why I always say "She" that's because I've been sure, since the very first that she's a girl... don't know why. We've since had that gender confirmed at a scan but of course it's possible (the sexing is only 98% accurate) that it could be a boy.
If so, I hope he likes pink... he's going to be wearing a lot of it for the first 2 years of his life :)
Friday 28 March 2008
The Gentle Giant
There is already a very special bond between Pip and our cat, Flokati. It started early in the pregnancy when Flokati first discovered my bump. I thought he simply enjoyed the fact that there was a "built-in pillow" for him when he lay on my lap. Now, I believe I was wrong. He always positions himself in such a way that he can have his head on my bump and purrs. As soon as the purring starts the kicking stops. Flokati will squeeze himself into the smallest spaces to be close to my bump and I often wake up with him lying on top of me purring like mad. This isn't very comfortable as he is a very big cat (and, to be honest, rather fat).
However, this isn't the first time he has displayed his love for babies. Before he came to us he belonged to our neighbours in Switzerland. Alexandra and Roel had a lovely baby daughter called Tiziana and Flokati was her babysitter. The tiniest noise from the baby and he would go running to her and just sit next to her purring. Sadly, Tiziana was allergic to him and developed terrible eczema. As I had fallen in love with him the first time I saw him, he came to us on the 17. Mai two years ago. Coincidence? The 17. Mai is our due date!
I've told Joe to record Flokati's purring so that we can calm the baby down once she's born. I'm very sure that she will remember that sound and, hopefully, it will send her off to sleep.
However, this isn't the first time he has displayed his love for babies. Before he came to us he belonged to our neighbours in Switzerland. Alexandra and Roel had a lovely baby daughter called Tiziana and Flokati was her babysitter. The tiniest noise from the baby and he would go running to her and just sit next to her purring. Sadly, Tiziana was allergic to him and developed terrible eczema. As I had fallen in love with him the first time I saw him, he came to us on the 17. Mai two years ago. Coincidence? The 17. Mai is our due date!
I've told Joe to record Flokati's purring so that we can calm the baby down once she's born. I'm very sure that she will remember that sound and, hopefully, it will send her off to sleep.
A Squirming Worm
The third trimester has started and I still am not able to sleep. This, of course, gives me a great excuse to take it easy and lie down for a snooze every day after lunch. Funnily enough it's like everyone knows when I'm snoozing as most days the door bell or the telephone will ring. I don't mind, though, as I probably would sleep away all afternoon and then not be able to sleep at all at night (again).
Joe and I have also attended antenatal classes and taken a tour of the hospital's delivery suite. The classes (now called parent craft classes) were good as the midwives did not embellish anything. Some of the couples looked quite pale after our first afternoon when we were told what to expect at the birth. Pain, mainly. "Contractions have to hurt", "we're happy to wait on the phone until the contraction is over and you can speak again", "would you like an epidural to relieve the pain?" were just a few sentences that were thrown at us. Basically, giving birth is like shoving a chair up you nostril: not a pleasant experience. Forget all about dignity, you're going to scream, poo, bleed and be inspected from all angles, even unsavoury ones.
The kicking has turned into a squirming, with the occasional kick (always aimed at my ribcage) thrown in for good measures. It's really funny to see how my bump changes shape depending on how the baby is positioned. Sometimes my bump shifts to one side, sometimes I look square. And when you watch her shifting positon it looks as if there is a squirming worm in my tummy.
Joe and I have also attended antenatal classes and taken a tour of the hospital's delivery suite. The classes (now called parent craft classes) were good as the midwives did not embellish anything. Some of the couples looked quite pale after our first afternoon when we were told what to expect at the birth. Pain, mainly. "Contractions have to hurt", "we're happy to wait on the phone until the contraction is over and you can speak again", "would you like an epidural to relieve the pain?" were just a few sentences that were thrown at us. Basically, giving birth is like shoving a chair up you nostril: not a pleasant experience. Forget all about dignity, you're going to scream, poo, bleed and be inspected from all angles, even unsavoury ones.
The kicking has turned into a squirming, with the occasional kick (always aimed at my ribcage) thrown in for good measures. It's really funny to see how my bump changes shape depending on how the baby is positioned. Sometimes my bump shifts to one side, sometimes I look square. And when you watch her shifting positon it looks as if there is a squirming worm in my tummy.
Saturday 22 March 2008
A Scan and some Flutterings
After the nausea left me for good I started feeling really good. Now I was just waiting for the first flutterings. In our book it said that in a first pregnancy the baby could be felt for the first time between week 20 and 24. A friend of mine invited me to a cinema organ concert when I was about 17 or 18 weeks. Well, the music must have activated the alien in me: almost at the end of the concert I could feel something in my tummy that I had never felt before. It think it must have been the first flutterings but I can't be sure.
The flutterings and kicks started for good at about week 22. It was such an exciting time as they were few and far between. I kept calling Joe to come and feel but invariably the kicks stopped as soon as he put his hand on my tummy.
We had our second scan at 24 weeks (which is quite late but that's England for you). It was a cold, wet Monday in January and we were very excited. This was going to be the day that would confirm our feelings (girl) or Bren and Rachel's hopes (boy). The names had been chosen ages ago and we were not really worried about the sex of the baby. A boy was as welcome as a girl and vice versa. The funny thing, though, was that Joe and I both had the feeling that it was a girl. Our feelings were confirmed, we're expecting a little girl. Now, there's still a 2% chance that the lady doing the scan is wrong and it is a little boy. All I can say is that he is just as welcome as a girl but I do hope that he likes pink!
As soon as people knew that a girl was "in the pipeline" we received lots and lots of clothes and they're all pink! We got tiny pink socks, lovely flowery dresses, frilly jeans and pijamas with pink fluffy rabbits.
At the end of February we went to Switzerland. It was my last chance to fly without a medical certificate and I was desperate to go "home". It was a really good time and the start of the next phase in our baby's development: the "kick the sh.. out of your mum" phase and I can tell you it's no fun. Sleep became a word that I heard about, not something I experienced and I was so tired I was desperate. On the positive side, I was spoilt rotten by my mum and we went shopping for the first time. As we had received so many clothes and things we hadn't bought anything ourselves. Now we went out and bought a little bodysuit with lions and giraffes on and a yellow sleepsuit with bears. We also bought some bibs and cloths and none of these things are pink!
In the end the second trimester ended quietly with no big dramas just a very tired pregnant lady!
The flutterings and kicks started for good at about week 22. It was such an exciting time as they were few and far between. I kept calling Joe to come and feel but invariably the kicks stopped as soon as he put his hand on my tummy.
We had our second scan at 24 weeks (which is quite late but that's England for you). It was a cold, wet Monday in January and we were very excited. This was going to be the day that would confirm our feelings (girl) or Bren and Rachel's hopes (boy). The names had been chosen ages ago and we were not really worried about the sex of the baby. A boy was as welcome as a girl and vice versa. The funny thing, though, was that Joe and I both had the feeling that it was a girl. Our feelings were confirmed, we're expecting a little girl. Now, there's still a 2% chance that the lady doing the scan is wrong and it is a little boy. All I can say is that he is just as welcome as a girl but I do hope that he likes pink!
As soon as people knew that a girl was "in the pipeline" we received lots and lots of clothes and they're all pink! We got tiny pink socks, lovely flowery dresses, frilly jeans and pijamas with pink fluffy rabbits.
At the end of February we went to Switzerland. It was my last chance to fly without a medical certificate and I was desperate to go "home". It was a really good time and the start of the next phase in our baby's development: the "kick the sh.. out of your mum" phase and I can tell you it's no fun. Sleep became a word that I heard about, not something I experienced and I was so tired I was desperate. On the positive side, I was spoilt rotten by my mum and we went shopping for the first time. As we had received so many clothes and things we hadn't bought anything ourselves. Now we went out and bought a little bodysuit with lions and giraffes on and a yellow sleepsuit with bears. We also bought some bibs and cloths and none of these things are pink!
In the end the second trimester ended quietly with no big dramas just a very tired pregnant lady!
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