Bowling at Lakes

We went to Lakes Bowl last night with Mike and Lisa. Fun was had by all. It had been a long time for bowling and every ones scores showed it.

Playfully accused of trying to walk out with a ball under my shirt Lisa thought this would be a great picture.

Updates

Childbirth classes 4 and 5 have passed. No huge updates -
Class 4 we watched a video on C-sections and went over all the breathing techniques again. She also taught us how to push (not something to practice until the actual time to push) but she said something about thinking there was a seat belt around your abdomen and trying to break it free.
Class 5 (last night) was a visit from a pediatrician. Yet another woman from our class had to deliver her baby pre-term. This time there was distress due to umbilical cord issues and she was set to deliver yesterday/today at 33 weeks. Out of the 10 couples in class on day one we now are down to 7.

We hit 35 weeks tomorrow - 5 weeks (or so) left - she'll be here soon!

Doctors Apt

We had another doctors apt yesterday (33/34 weeks) - We have one more on the 29th and then we move to every week. It's getting close. Everything still looks good. She's still in the 140's for her heartbeat and I'm still measuring spot on at 33.

Pat and I were able to ask more questions that revolved more around labor -
do you want to be called when contractions start?
when do we go to the hospital?
Episiotomies
what growth should I expect in the next 6 weeks?
Epidurrals

And once again we walked out of the office laughing at her comments back to us and her layed back attitude. I've often thought that Pat would really hate going to these appointments if it wasnt for having a doctor with such a fantastic personality.

Pat and I even joked last night that it would be nice to have Reverand Jim (the man who married us) and Dr. Korzen as neighbors - BBQs would be awesome.

Childbirth # 3

Tonight was a very rushed night as we got home a bit late. We hurried through dinner, rushed to the hospital for the class and when we got there, it was time to wait a bit. The class itself was a bit interesting, but there were definitely parts that made me loose concentration and wander off with my own thoughts.

We watched a video that covered many things we could see during labor and delivery. The overall theme was pain management. It discussed breathing techniques, medications, and maybe some other stuff, this was one of the times I began to day dream or focus on other things. I do know that epidurals were discussed. I did watch the video for that. I think the biggest reason I didn't pay attention to parts of the video were based on something that, as a guy, you would think I would want to see. When I saw the half naked lady relaxing in a tub while laboring, I thought to myself, "why do they have to do it this way?" I am sure they are trying to be a realistic as possible, but I don't think I need to see people naked. It is like the people that make these videos have a mantra that no laboring mother will be provided with a gown. It is one thing to see someone I know naked and laboring (by this I mean my wife only) but sometimes it feels like it has gone too far. - Side note, epidurals do not look all that fun. Sorry babe.

We also saw a lot of visual aids for epidurals, fetal monitoring (both internal and external), forceps, vacuums and whatnot. We had some questions that will need to be referred to our doctor, but the nurse was very receptive and listened to all our questions, answering what she could.

We did have a quiz that we took prior to moving to our relaxation and breathing exercises. The quiz was partially to blame for some of my day dreaming. I wanted to fill it in immediately when I saw it but kept feeling like it was more appropriate to wait.

Kelly nudged me a few times during class because she thought I was sleeping. No, I was not sleeping, I was reading, then re-reading, and re-re-reading to the point that I closed my eyes and tried to picture what I thought our little girl would look like. No luck, not only was I interrupted (kidding babe) I have absolutely no inclination on what she will look like. Even if we did a 3d ultrasound, I don't think I could picture her face.

We did learn a few new things for helping Kelly labor today. We got to slow dance today. During the slow dance, I managed to upset Kelly. I was trying to influence her to sway more at her hips than with her entire upper body. I need to remind myself that she will do what feels good for her... it doesn't always have to be exactly what is told to us. We also learned transition, or patterned, breathing. Not only do we have Ah/He breathing, but now every 4th breath is a blow off breath or Ah/Who breathing. Now all I need to do is practice not getting dizzy when I try to match Kelly's breathing. I can only hope that during labor and delivery she finds me almost as funny and amusing as she does in class. If so, maybe L&D will be just as good as the rest of her pregnancy has been. I do have to say, she is making the pregnancy look easy and good.

Next week, we talk about C-sections... hmmmm.

Patrick

Practicing for when my waters break

My car was in the shop since Tuesday morning. When we picked it up today there was plastic on the seat and steering wheel. Pat's suggestion - keep the plastic on for when my waters break. Gotta love my very practical husband!

32 weeks

We've entered month 8 - 32 Weeks! I need to remind myself to enjoy every minute of it because the next 2 months are going to fly by!

Childbirth Class #2

Tonight we had our second childbirth class. It started at 7 with a video. The video discussed signs of labor -
measurable contractions that get stronger and longer, your water breaking, dilation and effacement are TRUE signs of labor. Other signs like back pain, lightening, and braxton hicks contractions can lead to labor but do not mean that you are in labor. (although anything like back aches especially if they come and go and are measurable can be TRUE labor)

I now understand what dilation, effacement and pelvic stations are as well as the three stages of labor

The video did have a birth in it and I must say everyone in the class did well with the visual. Our teacher did point out after the fact that:
1. Not all women give birth completely naked - in fact at Sherman hospital they give you gowns :) (the video had a lot of non-clothed laboring women in it)
2. Your doctor most likely wont ask you to reach down and feel the top of the head as the one in the video did. They clean that area for a reason
3. As a mother in the video observed after she delivered the head "that doesn't look like a baby" - well it doesn't. In fact most babies aren't cute right at birth and until the baby takes her first breath they don't have the pink/rosey color.

The last 45 minutes of the class were spent in back working on our newest breathing technique - modified paced " Ah - Hee" breathing, comfort measures and back labor management. During this part of the class all of us seemed to get a reality check. - A father that had been in the last class (he and his wife were missing in today's class) came in and asked to talk to the teacher. They went outside the room and after a few minutes our teacher returned. She asked if we had recognized him and said that he had come to inform her that his wife gave birth to their little girl today. At 32 weeks the baby girl weighs in the 4lb range. She hadn't realized she was in labor (back laboring) and by the time she saw the doctor she was already 3-4 centimeters dilated and it was too late to try and stop it. The little girl is doing okay, she has some assistance breathing and the family is in shock.

At 32 weeks, that could be us. We enter 32 weeks on Thursday. I will thank God every day that our little girl stays in where she's supposed to - to bake for a little while longer.