Interesting Childbirth article

If you’ve read my blog and/or clicked on my links then you know I’m an advocate for natural childbirth. It’s the most effective and safest way to give birth and I’d personally rather weather the storm of labor pains than to increase my likelihood of caesarean section or worse.

Anywhoo…here is an interesting tidbit I’ve learned from Midwifeinfo.com. What do you think?

I for one am all for alternatives to epidural anesthesia. Also, if it doesn't take the pain completely away then your body can still respond to the contractions, thus allowing a mother to effectively push her baby out. This would result in fewer c-sections and less inductions (which are the devil I tell you!).

As Ms. Rooks notes in her editorial in the March 2008 edition of the journal Birth, "most U.S. women also lack access to many non-pharmacologic methods to cope with labor pain that, although less effective than epidural analgesia, provide sufficient and satisfactory pain relief to a significant proportion of the women who use them during labor." American women might be surprised to learn that "nitrous oxide is used by the majority of women in many countries
that are relatively similar to the U.S. in general socioeconomic and medical standards,” including 48 percent of the women who gave birth in Finland (2005), 46 percent of those who gave birth in New South Wales, (2004), forty-three percent of women birthing in British Columbia, (2004-5, either alone or with other agents), and fully half of all women birthing in the U.K. (2000). So what happened here, where nitrous oxide was once commonly used in hospitals around the country? Ms. Rooks faults "the evolving epidural monoculture in some hospital obstetric units" where the options for women have become, effectively, an epidural or nothing, perhaps a bit of synthetic narcotic (usually promoted by the nursing staff to get the patient through until she can have her epidural). The complete editorial, entitled "Nitrous Oxide for Pain in Labor--Why Not in the United States?" can be found in Birth, Volume 34 Issue 1 Page 3-5, March 2007.

So, we had another ultrasound this morning….

And we were blessed to find out that I am indeed having a baby boy!

His baby boy parts were very evident on the screen so I can rest assured that there will be no confusion on the day of his birth.

I am so excited because now I can go shopping!!! I truly felt like I couldn’t shop right. I will forever hold to my assertion that shopping for yellow and green isn’t nearly as fun as shopping for pink or blue. And since I have no patience whatsoever it was imperative that I find out the sex as soon as possible.

Now, I can shop in pink, size 2T for my daughter and shop in blue, all sizes for my son. Wow. My son. That’s soooo cooool! I’m so on cloud nine right now.

If you haven’t been reading my posts, the reason I knew it was a boy was only because of the name I found.

My daughter’s name is Anaiah, which means “God has answered”. She was an answer to a prayer. When I got pregnant with her, I had several boy names picked out: Isaiah, Elijah, and Micah. All biblical, but I had no true connection with the names. I also wanted a biblical name choice for a girl, so when I found Anaiah, my hubby and I quickly agreed that it would be the one.

Hubby and I both hoped for a girl, but I didn’t want to claim it because I was too nervous. He said that he knew all along.

This time around, when I found the name Mathias, which means “Gift of God”, I knew from that moment on that he was a boy. Since he was a surprise baby, he's like a present that someone knocks on your door to hand you that you never knew you always wanted. Call it coincidence if you like, but I call it FAITH. God certainly knows better than I.

I knew that the same way Anaiah’s name is a testimony to her life, Mathias’ name would be a testimony to his.
Do I have to tell you how long the 12 week wait was to find out? It felt more like 120 weeks.

Mathias, I can’t wait to introduce myself to you as your momma!

Strolling Down Memory Lane

This pic is of me and my hubby on our fourth anniversary. I can truly say that I love him more today than ever before. He and I have grown so close over the last six years since we met. Yes, I would definitely marry him all over again. (Sorry for the cleavage. In pregnancy, it's hard to avoid it, considering how they are preparing to serve their one true purpose and all, Lol.)

May 21, 2009

Just a Glamour Shot (sorry, vanity runs in my family. I got it honest)

In honor of my anniversary, here is a pic of me and my loverboy, May 21, 2005.

St. Louis Zoo Pic (See Mr. Leopard in background) -
see previous post for explanation of St. Louis/Zoo Trip.

Me in my bridesmaids dress, passing time until the wedding began. This was for the wedding I was in on May 23, 2009, for one of my closest pals since college.

Me and the Bride, goofing off (at her wedding).

Me and the Bride (from above), goofing off (at mine!)

Random Life Update

Hi all!

I've been pretty busy lately, so my blogging has suffered.

Dex and I celebrated our fourth anniversary on the 21st of May. We got a babysitter (thank you Jesus!) and went to a great restaurant (because, again, food runs my life), and went to see the newest Terminator flick (which was AWESOME!!). I have watched Terminator 1 and 2 so much that I know the dialogue by heart. I can't wait to own this one. I love superheroes. Plus, Batman as Terminator was great. What a wonderful anniversary this one was (was that a Yoda-ism?).

I was also a bridesmaid for one of my dearest, oldest friends two weekends ago. She was my first roommate in college and we both hated each other when we first met. "What? You mean we have to share?"

It didn't take long for us to become bosom buddies.

I won't mention the bridesmaids dresses (Not very flattering on pregnant women). Wait, was that a mention?

Hubby, daughter and I had a fabulous time while we were in St. Louis. Met a fabulous, Christian couple who was also expecting and had a two year old daughter. They invited us to church and then we all went to the St. Louis Zoo. Had a wonderful time and forged friendships that I believe will be time tested. I will post pics in next post.

Basically, right now I am excited about two things: My book and my baby.

I won't really elaborate on my book, except to say that I am done with revisions (which feels great!).

I find out on Wednesday whether or not I am correct in my assertion that I am having a boy.

Honestly, I don't really care either way, but I am certain that his name is Mathias, which means "gift of God". His life is another testimony of God's grace. So on Wednesday, I'll be sure to post to let you know the outcome. I can't wait to tell every one I told you so. If you know anything about Pentecostals then you'll get me when I say "I feel it in my spirit". Lol.

Off to post pics now.

Photos

I wouldn't be me if I didn't post my pics at least a month late.

So, better late than never, here are a few pics of my family this past Easter. This was also my husbands 33rd birthday. We had just come back from Orlando (Disney World).

Smelling the Roses

Life is a challenge
Not a competition
You can still smell the roses
And be on a mission

This is a quote from an India.Arie song. I adore her. She has a wonderful outlook on life that shines through her music.

The words really mean something to me. I find myself always running around with a goal. People have often told me to stop and smell the roses. I’m always on a mission. This verse is right. You can do both.

This Sunday is Mother’s day and I’m excited. My husband told me last night that he’s taking me out of town this weekend, but he won’t tell me where. I’m pretty sure he’s taking me home. I really want to see my niece get ready for her prom and I’ve been making comments about it. Other than that, I’m not really sure where we’re going.

Here’s to hoping wherever it is, it has a spa.

Whoa is me

Yeah, okay, another whoa is me post. I know how I sound. Pathetic right? But really, you gotta hear this.

So, one night I go to bed as usual (remember, we co-sleep) and since my daughter is older now, she basically sleeps in the middle of us. I had forgotten to get rid of the bed rail that we attached to the bed. On this particular night, I slept in the oddest position that I, of course, don't remember, except for the painful reminder I awoke to the next morning.

The next day, I had an excrutiating pain in my shoulder. Since I am a nerd, I self-diagnosed myself as having shoulder tendinitis, or more specifically an inflamed rotator cuff. If you've ever had tendinitis then you know it's no joke. I dealt with the pain for a few days, but then it became debillitating where my arm was essentially glued to my side (this was last week, btw) so I made an appt with a specialist. By the time the appt time came (a few days after I made the appt), the pain started receding and since I've had tendinitis before, I knew it was probably getting better on it's own and no reason to go the doc.

Now, let me preface my decision to not see the Doc by saying that about a month ago, I went to the ER b/c I had the most severe ear pain I've ever had in my life. My ear was screaming at me and in turn I screamed back. After waiting 5 hours in the ER (by myself b/c hubby was home with our daughter, no way I was taking her to the ER for nothing), I get to the back and see the nurse (I hate this practice, btw; who wants to pay "dr" money to see a nurse?) and he tells me that he's going to give me steroids for it. It wasn't an infection, just fluid behind my ear drum. My whole fam had been sick recently and it's typical with congestion. So I tell the nurse, hold up, look at my chart, I'm pregnant. I am also a chemist so I know there's no way I can take steroids right now (especially in the 1st trimester). He then basically closes the case by saying "Oh, well then you'll have to take some benadryl then and hope for the best". You've got to be kidding me. Five-Hours-In-The-Er.

So....fast foward. If my pain is in fact subsiding, then I see absolutely no need to go the doc for no reason so they can tell me that I can't have the cortisone shot that I so desperately need. And guess what? Hallelujah, pain is really fading. Not all the way gone, mind you, but fading. That was Thursday, last week.

Now, at 10pm on Wednesday of the next week. Said pain returning in same arm. Ow.

Debating on my plan of attack. So far my defense has been icing it down. I just don't want another ER episode, ya know? I can't even take advil. It's an NSAID (which would relieve the inflammation) and is not recommended for pregnancy.

So, like the title of my post. Whoa is me. I need a spa day.