Monday, February 25, 2013

Probiotics saving the day?

33 weeks, 5 days

Another midwife visit today!  So fun, right?  I am strangely energetic today.  OH well, I'll take it.  I've been getting super sleepy lately, an energetic day is nice.

While in NYC, I napped everyday - sometimes for several hours!  Me.  Napping.  Not usually compatible.

So everything is going ok.  I am measuring 31cm and I was hoping for 32cm (which would be a steady 2 cm below target), but midwife wasn't concerned.  It is official, I am carrying on the small side.  Oh well.  I love my belly.  Really love it.

My 3rd backup midwife called in NYC to tell me my iron was low (114) - but my primary midwife is not at all concerned with such a number.  She said above 100 is good.  So I've been having what I've been thinking of as "iron meals" - aka, no dairy in them, since calcium inhibits iron absorption, and then taking an iron pill after (and trying to make sure there is some vitamin C in there as well, to help with absorption).  I think this is probably a good practise from now until birth, so I'll keep it up when possible.  Sometimes its tricky, right?

Also - so since we've been renovating, we've been living at my in-laws/sort of camping at home.  So my no-gluten rules went out the window.  But here's the SURPRISE - there seems to be no trouble.  Usually I have [WARNING: TMI] what I think is a colon spasm in the morning after eating gluten, but everything is hunky dory.  Also I somewhat find a link to gluten and the night crazies - but I've been ok, non-crazy.  And my skin is BETTER than usual.  AND, I've been eating cow dairy and some sugar.  Totally crazy, right?

I think it is because I've been taking some probiotics pretty regularly.  I think I love them.  I can't think of another reason things are going so smoothly.

And SPEAKING of probiotics.  My midwife was saying at 35-36 weeks they'll do the Group B strep swab.  (Well, I clarified - I do it myself in the bathroom).  It is no big deal, I've heard about this.  Everyone has it at one time or another.  It just means you need antibiotics during delivery.  She said this does not preclude a home birth, I can have them by IV at home, that's ok.

But then she looked worried because I am "allergic" to penicillin.  (Had hives when I was about 12, doc said I might be allergic, haven't had penicillin since.)  She said that is the antibiotic they most often use with group B strep, it is most effective.  So she asked if I am taking a probiotic, and I said, "yes, I happen to be" and related the above.  She said, "Good.  Take the maximum.".  Her basic plan is that she doesn't want me to have group B strep because of having to use a different antibiotic, and she feels that loading up on probiotics should do the trick.

I dig it.

This magic pill I am thinking is really helping out, I now get to take double.  And not feel bad for buying another bottle.  It isn't super cheap, but considering how much some probiotics cost, it isn't super expensive.  And MUCH prefer that to being on an IV during labour.

And to think, I totally bought it on a whim because I was at the drugstore and in a "buy-y" mood.  (which doesn't happen too often at the drug store - this is not a place for good value in Canada).  Normally I buy all my vitamins from the upscale hippie shop, but this is just from plain old drugstore.  Cool.

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Officially not breech!

She's not breech!
Even though it wasn't a big deal right now (thanks for your comments anon), I was more worrried than I thought.  After the tech said she was head down and perfect... I cried.  For like ten minutes. It was just such a relief.  I don't know.  Am so happy.

In other news, my iron is a bit low.  114?  I'm not worried.

In NYC now!

Monday, February 11, 2013

Unofficially breech

31 weeks, 5 days

Today, we met our 3rd backup midwife - she's the same one that teaches the prenatal class, so we were already acquainted, that was nice.  She had a student with her as well.

Well, for all appointments up until now, the midwives have not been able to say for sure if the Appleseed's head is down.  There was still time anyway.

After much prodding and poking (they poke HARD), both agreed - Appleseed's head is not yet down.
They filled out an ultrasound request for me, hopefully I will get an appt in the next day or two (I called today, but they were already closed).  Ideally I will have the u/s before I go to NYC - since it can take a week for the results?

[Aside:Have I mentioned our choir is going to sing at Carnegie Hall next Monday?  Cool, right?]

If the u/s confirms breech, apparently there is a list of things they can do, from gentle to less gentle.  Personally, I am happy to have the ultrasound.  An extra confirmation Appleseed is indeed a girl, and things are going along smoothly won't hurt at all!

I don't know much about breech births.  Other than my (blood) cousin's 3rd kid was breech, but they were at home, and there was much drama going to the hospital.  I would like to avoid that!

Today's midwife said about 10 years ago a (poorly done) study came out to say breech births should always be c-sections.  She said it took 10 years of studies to refute that.  BUT, that a generation of OBs now don't know how to catch breech babies.  And I think it would be a transfer of service type of deal.  It makes me sad to just type that.  (Meaning, I would leave my nice midwives and have to find an OB).

BUT.  She'll turn.  I know it.  Everything will be fine.  :)  It is much too early to worry, there are a lot of things they can do still.  Why borrow trouble, right?

They also took some blood to check my iron.  They checked my pre-pregnancy iron level on my chart and both laughed - they were like, "That's the iron level of a 20 year old male!".  Hahah.  It's all that grass fed beef we eat.  :) 

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Chinese Name saga continues!

First of all - Gung Hay Fat Choy!  Happy Chinese New Year!

So since we were over here at my in-laws for Chinese New Years, DH again brought up the Chinese name of our little Appleseed.

It was briefly brought up at dinner a few weeks ago, and these was much controversy (as I interpret increasingly loud talking).  His sister didn't like a lot of the names his Dad had selected.

So today, we asked his sister what names she selected.  And how to pronounce them all in Cantonese, Mandarin, and Tschui-Chow (the language they actually speak at home - closer to Cantonese than Mandarin).

So there were some cool options - "Beautiful Energetic", "Bright", "Peaceful", "Beautiful Singing Voice", "Announcement from the King".  And some we liked less, "Precious Treasure", "Presentation".

But some of those nice ones...well, don't sound really nice to my English ears.  Like one of them is "Ick".  <wrinkled nose>

But then it got way more complicated.  DH's Dad said if we can wait until after the baby is born, we can send date/time/location to a ... naming specialist... who will come up with good names.  You see, each person is lacking in the 5 elements (which are gold, earth, fire, wood and water - a surprise to me!) depending on when they were born.  So one's name should have the element in it they are lacking.



And even more complicated - both middle and given names have to be an odd number of strokes, since our last name is even.  (One of the names his sister selected had 23 strokes!  Will little Appleseed ever be able to learn such a monstrosity?) 

Phew!  Them's a lot of rules, ya?

All of this will take weeks after the baby is born.  I know we have 30 days to register our baby's official name...but I'm not cool waiting that long.

So we decided his Dad will come up with a list of names for each of the 5 elements, and we'll pick ones we like from it (of course, all will be odd number of strokes in traditional Chinese).  Then when she's born, we'll see which element she's lacking, and we'll have a quick list to choose from.  If she's lacking two elements, we can choose those two.  It should only take about 2 days.

Good.

I am eager to see this list of 5 element names!

Friday, February 8, 2013

Bras and Ribs

31 weeks, 2 days

Last week while cleaning out a drawer, what did turn up but some old lysee money from my birthday over the summer!   Always good to turn up money - and being old, it is now even luckier.  AND, I have to spend it on myself.  That's the rules.

So I went on a little shopping trip!

I decided to overcome my fear of high end lingerie shops.  Not the silly ones in the mall, a real old-school shop is near my house.  With stern old ladies to fit your bra!

See, my bras have slowly become woefully inadequate.  Like, I could barely do it up.  So it was time to bit the bullet and get a new one for the next ~2 months or so, even it seems like a waste of money.  I want to keep the girls perky!

I walked in, and it was crammed with bras of all shapes and sizes.  Well, that's good to know!  My usual size is super small, and the mall bra shops often neglect us type of ladies - no boobies left behind here.

Then I saw a few price tags dangling.  Um - $145 for a bra?  You for real?

I asked about nursing bras, thinking I might as well kill two birds with one stone and buy a bra that could maybe suit for both now and after the birth - even though they say not to buy a nursing bra until your milk comes in.

The (stern) lady came right with me into the dressing room!  Yikes.  But they are real bra fitters, I suppose it makes sense they need to see how things are going.

The long and short of it is that none of their ($75!) nursing bras fit, I ended up with a regular bra, just much bigger than my old one.  She had me trying on 38s at one point!  Are you kidding me?  I've been a 34 since grade seven!

I was pretty shocked at that.  She felt around me and said "Looks like you're a 38.  What are you normally, a 34?".  Who is this sage?

And why the heck is my band size going up?  And my ribs hurt sometimes?  I mean, sure I'm gaining weight, but ribs are ribs, non?  Well, turns out that's just how it is in 3rd trimester - ribs expand a bit to fit the baby.  Ok!  It's just a minor discomfort, no biggie.

I got out of there in a 36 (see, 38 was out of control), one cup size up.  Waaaay more comfortable than my old bras (which are all the same).  It was about fifty dollars - so, a definite splurge, but not as bad as it could have been.


I'm still loving being pg, so this was all part of the fun adventure.  Sorry I've been a bit of an absentee blogger lately - our minor renos have started (if we are FB friends, you can check out my IRL blog from there!)

Appleseed grows

Lilypie Maternity tickers