What I Miss About Being Pregnant December 3, 2012

Emma Grayce- 7 Months Pregnant

Ahhh pregnancy. Some people love it and some people hate it. I’ll be honest with you- around 10 weeks I wasn’t sure what side of the tracks I would fall. I had some pretty nasty morning sickness that would come and go on a regular basis and I never knew when I was going to feel good and when I was going to be hanging my head out the window. At 19 weeks, I had my last run in with morning sickness and really fell in love with my pregnancy. Even during the morning sickness, I loved knowing that my little girl was living inside of me and that I had been blessed enough to be given the experience of being called “mom”. As many of you know, it took me some time getting pregnant and after fears of never being able to conceive, I think I was ready to embrace pregnancy even if I had been on the floor vomiting for all 40 weeks. It was worth it.

As much as I say I love pregnancy, I wanted to share with you some of my favorite things about being pregnant and what I miss about it, too. I know some women have rougher roads than I did with their pregnancies and sometimes it’s hard to find what to be thankful for, so I wanted to share some that I know I was grateful for and what others can cling to:

Emma Grayce- 20 Week Check Up- It’s a Girl!

I loved feeling Emma move. I missed that a whole lot those first few weeks after she was born. The first time she kicked I couldn’t believe that I felt it, so I didn’t. That was around 16 weeks. The next time I noticed it was a few days later so I was certain that feeling I felt before was the real deal. Until about 20 weeks, JR couldn’t feel it so it was like something special that only Emma and I shared with one another. I think it was a great bonding experience for the two of us to have on our own. I also liked to show it off to other people. If she was kicking and someone I knew was nearby, I made them feel my belly. Weird, maybe. But I loved it.

I loved watching her on the ultrasound. We had a difficult pregnancy at times so we got to see Emma A LOT. Granted, I wouldn’t want to go through that again, but I did love and enjoy seeing her on an almost weekly basis. Watching her move, seeing her kick and feeling it at the same time, there is nothing greater than that and left no doubt in my mind that God does exist.

The Beginning Transformation of Emma’s Room

I loved preparing for Emma. I don’t miss that too terribly much because I’m still able to do a lot of it. Buying her clothes, decorating her room, picking her name, and more. It was all a great experience. I enjoyed every moment preparing for and expecting Emma’s birth and this was definitely one of my favorite parts. I was a big fan of nesting and practiced it almost daily. Enough so that I’m pretty sure my husband was about to lose his mind.

9 Months Pregant- Photo By Hurd Photography

I loved getting the belly. After Emma was born, I would catch myself holding my non-pregnant belly as I had for so many months. I know this one here is sensitive for some women but I seriously loved it. Sporting the belly reminded me every day that I was pregnant. I’m not going to lie either, I think prego bellies are cute as a button and I thought mine was, too. It’s just about the only time you can grow and people will think you’re cute. Win!

I loved bonding with my husband. JR and I spent a lot of time together as we planned for Emma’s arrival, therefore, we got really close to one another. Not that we weren’t before, but there is something about having a baby that brings you together even more. I would imagine it’s because the rest of your life you will never be “just the two of you” ever again. During this time, my love for JR grew more and more and to this day, it continues to. JR prepared himself to be an amazing father and husband and has followed through with that goal. I am so glad that we spent time during my pregnancy growing with one another rather than growing apart.

JR & Me- 7 1/2 Months Pregnant

These are a few of my favorite things about being pregnant. What are some of your favorite things?

What I’ll Do Differently October 22, 2012

Welcome to my week long post on CHILDBIRTH! I hope you enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed putting it together. I’ll be writing today but have several guest posts coming this week. Enjoy and I’ll see you next week!

Newborn Baby Emma

Having Emma was a whirlwind for me. When I look back to the day she was born, it was like the blink of an eye. Even my pregnancy seemed to fly by and here I am a year later. God definitely knew what He was saying when He said,

“How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.” James 4:14

When I had Emma there were several things I loved about my pregnancy and my birth. There were also things that I would do differently. Emma was an at risk pregnancy which made me view things a whole lot differently, especially being a first time mom. I wish I had asked more questions. I wish I had read more about it. I wish I had talked to other mommies more. As for now, I wanted to share with you what I would do the same, what I would consider doing differently, and what I would definitely do different next time around.

What I Loved

*Words cannot describe how much I loved Seasons of Bristol. They are some of the best doctors I have ever had, hands down. We always felt like we were a part of the decision making and the process of our pregnancy. They walked us through a lot and also informed us about things that we didn’t know to ask. Dr. Looney is who delivered Emma and he will be my doctor next time around, too. He wasn’t my original doctor but I was so impressed with him during my birthing experience that I will have him again. Something else I loved about him was even after my c section, he said he would let me try for a vaginal birth next time. This was music to my ears as I didn’t want a c section to begin with, not at all.

*Along with my doctors, I also LOVE Bristol Regional. The new life center there was wonderful and the nurses were great, too. They were very compassionate and loving towards me. They made me feel cared for and important. Truthfully, the nurses are there for you more than the doctors are so it’s good to have good nurses. It’s also good to be a good patient. If you’re a complainer and a grouchy pants, chances are your nurses won’t love you too much. It’s important that they love you. After all, they are helping with one of the most important days of your life.

*I loved being pregnant. The morning sickness was yucky, but other than that, man did I LOVE pregnancy. I think I wanted it for so long that I appreciated it a little more than the average woman. I loved feeling Emma move, I enjoyed eating, I even enjoying getting the pregnant belly. It was like wearing a badge of honor. I went 41 weeks and 1 day with Emma and would do that again and more. Being pregnant was quite possibly the best I’ve ever felt with my body. God willing, I will definitely be pregnant again one day. Not tomorrow but soon enough.

What I May Do Different

“A woman in birth is at once her most powerful, and most vulnerable. But any woman who has birthed unhindered understands that we are stronger than we know.” ~Marcie Macari

*I want to consider a natural birth next time. Does this mean I will stick with it? I don’t know yet but I want to consider my options thoroughly. There are a lot of benefits to having a natural birth versus a fully medicated one. There’s something intrigu ing to me about doing it “au naturel” but I’m not sure I think it’s for everyone. There are a lot of women who have no desire to do it at all and that’s ok. I think I’m one that is definitely leaning more towards doing it than not doing it. I am going to begin researching it NOW versus later, that way I’m as prepared as I can be and know for sure what I want to do when it comes time. Oh, and it’s also cheaper. Keep that in mind. If anything could sway me one way or the other, it would be the cheaper route.

*I want my mom in the room. I wanted her there last time but with having a c section I was only allowed one person in the room with me and that person was JR. Next time, I’d like to think I can have them both there. I’ve also considered a doula. I’m not really sure what JR thinks about a doula so I guess that’s important to consider, too. I like the idea of having someone to coach us through everything and help us make informed decisions. After all, whether I do vaginal and/or a natural birth, it will be my first time going that route. I want to be able to make the best decisions I possibly can. If I choose not to have a doula, I will definitely be seeking advice from those who have delivered vaginally and/or naturally as well as doing my homework and reading up. I’ve got several books in my amazon wish list. Feel free to buy a few for me if you’d like!

Never Again

*Pitocin. Seriously, that word just unnerves me. When I was pregnant with Emma I refused to talk about induction until we got to 40 weeks. When I spoke with my doctor, she really wanted me to be induced at 41 weeks if Emma hadn’t come. She never said I HAD to be induced, but I was made feel that way. I’m not sure it was the doctor or me making myself feel that way, but either way, I did. Once I looked into it a little more, I came to realize it’s completely natural (and normal, too) for a baby to come late. Good grief, it’s not like every girl starts her menstrual cycle at age 13 and every woman goes through menopause at age 45. We are all different, babies included. The reality is that the baby is coming out at some point or another and unless there are medical issues involved, she or he can come whenever they feel like it. Also, pitocin has been linked to more painful contractions and the possibility of a c-section. It also leads to an earlier epidural which can lead to issues with mom’s blood pressure. I had all of the previously mentioned so I will NOT be doing pitocin again. Mark my word.

*Vaccinations. Now, I’m not saying I will NEVER AGAIN have vaccinations but there are several things I will either reconsider or I won’t do at all. There are some vaccinations that I personally think outweigh any bad but there are others than I just don’t see the benefit with all the harm that can be caused. For example, I personally am not a big fan of the flu vaccination. I know too many people who have got sick from it or had the flu anyways. There are links that are connecting the flu vaccine to causing Alzheimer’s. Both of my mom’s parents had Alzheimer’s and I want to remove the likelihood of us having it. This is not to mention several other health risks in taking the vaccination. There are also simple ways to keep ourselves from getting sick, too. Eat healthy. Take your vitamins. Wash your hands. And the best one- stay away from sick people! Your welcome for the free advice.

These are my lists and what I think about my pregnancy and birth the next time around. What about you all? Anything you would add for yourselves?