Some Exciting News!!

Kate is going to be a big sister! We can hardly believe it either, or, let me rephrase that, I can't believe it! Of course I am thrilled because children are a blessing from the Lord. Just a little overwhelmed at the thoughts of two little squirts running around. But, alas, little Kate does need a playmate. Daddy, her best buddy, just isn't around during the day and Mama is, well, Mama. So, sometime around the first two weeks of October we will be having a new little one.

I am going to try to use this blog to keep a record of my pregnancy because I really didn't do a good job keeping a journal with Kate. So, I am about 13 weeks along and therefore almost out of the first trimester. After meeting with my midwife Lauren Drees a few weeks ago, we had an ultrasound to get a rough idea about when this baby will be arriving. We took Kate, who didn't fully appreciate the images of the baby, but who really didn't like Mama lying there and not holding her. But in seeing this precious little one on the ultrasound screen, reality sank in. It's exciting to think about who this child will look like, what his/her personality will be like, and how s/he will be as a baby, a child, a teen, and then an adult. Kate is so outgoing and independent, so chatty and funny, always on the move and always smiling. She's got a mind of her own, which is a challenge, but is so smart. I know she'll have a tough time adjusting but will be a great big sister.


(Kate with all her hair barrettes. She wants them all over her head.)

Already I see differences between the two. Since the beginning of February, I have been sick as a dog. Totally different from Kate. With Kate I think I threw up a handful of times and was only nauseous in the morning hours. With this little angel, I am sick all day long and even wake up in the middle of the night to vomit (i.e., last night at 1:00). It is particularly difficult since Kate is so active but she is so good and usually "reads" her books or runs around while I lie on the couch. Every time she sees me throwing up I try to reassure her that Mommy is okay but she isn't the least bit concerned: she just stands by and laughs! Fortunately, those horrible first trimester side effects are dwindling although I still enjoy an afternoon nap with Kate because I am exhausted.

I go back to see the midwife April 19 and will keep you posted on our progress. We are very blessed and thank God for His gift of children.

Disclaimer

This is a disclaimer to the next post. In no way do I mean to demean or belittle any woman's birth experience. One benefit to advanced medicine is that when mother or baby is in danger there are fast and innovative methods to remedy the problem with little risk of mortality. Thank God for that! I simply want women to start taking control of their pregnancies and childbirths so that they can have an optimal experience and treasure wonderful memories about their experience.

On My Soapbox

Most people would agree that living in a modern, technologically advanced society is a blessing, but when that technology infringes on our rights, we need to stop and assess whether such advancements are really beneficial or whether they are setting us back thousands of years. To be blunt, I am frustrated and appalled by the medicalization of childbirth, notably the increased rise in inductions, C-sections, and other unnecessary interventions that are preventing women from trusting their bodies and doing what we were created to do.

In the past year, five women who I know and care about have had normal pregnancies only to end up being delivered by C-section. In three of the five cases, a cesarean was deemed necessary because of a failed induction, and in the other two, the women were told their babies were measuring large and they would not be able to deliver them vaginally. I am sick and tired of doctors who are so concerned about malpractice suits and the inconvenience of normal, physiological birth that they convince women that we aren't capable of knowing our own bodies and allowing labor to occur on its own, in its own time. A C-section is not a minor outpatient procedure; it is serious and major abdominal surgery that can result in numerous problems for the mother and the baby. The risks of cesarean include hemorrhage, infection, organ damage, threats to future fertility and, with future pregnancies, the possibility of uterine rupture and placenta implantation problems. And yet, today, 1 in 3 women have a C-section every year. Don't get me wrong; there are incidents that necessitate emergency surgery, but these cases are few and far between.

At the heart of the problem, I think, is that women no longer take control of their pregnancies and the childbirth process, preferring to remain ignorant and trust the doctor who "knows best." We have forgotten or perhaps never really internalized the fact that God made our bodies to bear children and that women have given birth since the beginning of time without the "aid" of doctors. It seems quite a setback to me that women have abandoned their natural instincts to birth, whether out of fear or ignorance I don't know, and given complete control to doctors.

Don't just read What to Expect When You're Expecting but read Having a Baby, Naturally by Peggy O'Mara or Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way by Susan McCutcheon. Find out what exactly is happening in your body and with your baby. And when your doctor tells you s/he wants you to have a certain procedure, don't just take his/her word for it but research it, find out your options, ask what the risks and benefits are. Don't just assume doctor knows best. Doctors know what's best for their bottom line; you have to take responsibility for your body, your pregnancy and childbirth. Having a baby is one of the amazing miracles that God has placed in our lives. Stop letting others control your childbirth experiences and be proactive.

We're Back!

It has been quite a while since I last posted. Kate and I have both been sick and it just seems like we have been very busy lately. Kate is babbling incessantly...no one knows exactly what she's saying but she sure has a lot to say! It will be nice when she learns to form words because last week she had an ear infection in both ears and it would have been very nice if she could have told me her ears hurt. When we were visiting my parents a few weeks ago, Kate loved to pat little Robbie on the back and say, "This? This?" So cute.

She is a funny kid though. She will sit forever looking through and "reading" her books, which is nice for Mama. However, she has recently foregone her morning nap when she really still needs it, so we are adjusting. At least she usually takes a 2-hour afternoon nap and lately, so does Mama!

We are looking forward to some warmer weather so we can have some outdoor adventures. There are only so many pairs of shoes Kate can try on.