This munchkin has apparently been wiping my body out and allowing me to sleep 9 or more hours a night; I can't stand it! I think it is the growth spurt that she's going through but I literally cannot wake up. I know I shouldn't be complaining, I should probably be grateful for all the rest I get and that I don't wake up at all to use the bathroom or have insomnia or something. But when I finally do get up I feel like such a bum and like I could have gotten so much done in the few extra hours of sleep that I got!

So this morning I really wanted to be a bit more productive:
- I called my Maternity nurse and left a message for the second time (we literally keep missing each other somehow). Hopefully she calls back tomorrow afternoon or on Friday for our appointment.
- I signed Ashton and I up for a tour of the maternity ward at Brigham and Women's on Monday night! Yay, I am so excited to visit the hospital and this will probably be the point that I let them know I plan on delivering there so they will expect me, teehehe.
- I also registered for two more classes at B&W at the end of the month: Breastfeeding Basics and Infant Care and Behavior. Ashton can't make either of these classes but I registered anyway since they are the only ones that weren't full and I'm going to keep an eye out for the March events calendar so maybe I can switch the Infant care class to a time that Ashton can make as well.
- Another thing I decided was that I probably won't get the Tdap vaccine now or after birth. Please don't scold me on this. I'm just not really big on vaccines and am going for an entirely natural pregnancy and childbirth as much as possible. :)

Well, that is all for now! Next on my list is researching hypnobirthing and other natural labor and childbirth techniques. Wish me luck! Haha.

This trimester has seemed significantly longer, but just as exciting and rewarding as the first. This trimester has brought on the most changes and the most decisions have had to be made so far. I've gone through a whirlwind of emotions, but I am still loving every moment of this journey. I still feel like everything has been quite peachy so far, with no major issues or symptoms.

Symptoms: continued acne, cramping and pressure due to baby hiding out in my pelvic area, and terrible nightmares accompanied by night sweats.
Issues that came up: anemia due to an iron deficiency.
Important decisions: not taking prenatal vitamins and getting vitamins and nutrients from food instead (with the exception of iron), not getting a flu shot, giving birth at Brigham & Women's hospital, not getting an epidural for pain during labor, not opting for an episiotomy unless it is medically necessary, and choosing a name for my baby girl!
Improvements from last trimester: breast tenderness, leg cramps and waking up to roll over at night have all gone away, surprisingly! (I'm preparing for all three of these to make an appearance again at some point though). I have probably the same amount of energy, but have more motivation to do "nesting" things like cleaning, baking, preparing for baby, designing her nursery, and beginning a few diy projects.

Like my last trimester recap I will include the highs and lows, beginning with the lows.
Lows: Honestly, the worst thing to happen to me this entire pregnancy is having nightmares that involve my baby. I have woken up terrified, sweating, and crying. The dreams seem so real at the time and it's hard to let go of that when I first wake up, so I just lie there feeling numb, until the thoughts roll away. Luckily, Ashton has been such a great support person and comforts me when he knows I need it, but also lets me ride out the fears and thoughts until they are gone. Luckily, this lasted less than two weeks.
Working six days a week or working longer hours right up until 27 weeks for fear of not having money when I go on maternity leave. That has been a major cause of stress this trimester and I know will only get worse as the time for leave draws nearer. I don't know if I will continue working 6 days after this past week, or if I will even be allowed to at work. We'll see. I am proud of myself for making it to 6 months working so much though!
Stressing about not being able to find an apartment yet and not being able to get out of my current lease. I don't really want to get into this again, as it is still making me really upset to think about. I'm afraid of preparing for a nursery that my baby girl won't get to have. :(
Highs: Continuing our registry at Babies R Us. Reviewing our registry, one of the things I am most excited for is a diaper bag! I know that sounds so silly and I can't even explain why I can't wait to have one and fill it up, haha.
I love feeling her move around all the time. I used to get lonely and miss her because I could barely feel that she was there, but now there's no mistaking it! I was even told (by my doctor) I don't need to bother tracking her movements since she is so active all day. I also love that my belly is getting bigger because I can never be upset when I rest my hand on it, knowing that she can feel the warmth of my hand. I made up a little song that I sing to her in the shower as I wash my tummy. I really love moments like those.
Nesting! I absolutely love it. I feel energized and motivated and purposeful. For the first time so far, I feel "motherly"!! I don't even mind so much with cleaning, and I LOVE being crafty and coming up with little projects. During my first one I was so excited to be painting again!
We have received so many wonderful gifts from friends and family. Several gifts came at Christmas, but we also have friends who have recently had baby girls and were willing to give us their extra goodies. We have tons of teeny clothes already and we haven't even bought anything yet!
I'm still really invested in my blog and am delighted that so many people have taken the time to read it and tell me how much they enjoy it! I can't wait to look back on it all and read previous posts and remember the joyful moments I had. I also secretly hope my sisters will read it again when they are pregnant to see how our journeys compare. :)
We decided on our daughter's name and I wrote it in the snow one day and sent Ashton a picture of it while he was at work (as I am sure you know if you have read my past posts). I am in love with her name already and can't wait for the name reveal at her birth!

Overall, I am loving being pregnant more than any other experience in my life!! There are times when I feel a little heavy, but most of the time I actually feel pretty light on my feet. I know baby is due for another growth spurt any second, so that will probably change and also affect my energy level and mood. I can't see myself getting too upset by anything at this point, but I do still have three months to go! I'm ready for trimester #3!

Sneak-a-peek! My first nursery project.

I wasn't going to reveal this project or post any pictures until I was done but I just can't help myself! I decided to design and hand paint a truly unique, one-of-a-kind set of blocks for my little bump's nursery. Now I know she probably won't play with them (I used acrylic gloss enamel and she will undoubtedly put them in her mouth), but I think they are so adorable anyway and will make a nice shelf decoration to go along with the Studio Ghibli theme in her nursery. The set is going to include 6 blocks, each one based on a different Studio Ghibli movie. As to not give too much away I will only show you one side of the three completed blocks so far.


These are based on the movies: Princess Mononoke, Kiki's Delivery Service, and My Neighbor Totoro. I am still working on Spirited Away, Castle in the Sky and Whisper of the Heart. They are pretty time consuming and tedious (1 1/2 inch blocks!), but I am loving this project because I haven't painted in so long (I forgot how much I love it even though I'm not great at it), it is very relaxing for me and something I can do to stay busy while sitting, and I have a secret obsession with everything Studio Ghibli. Basically this is a project for the both of us! :)

I had been thinking about the pros and cons of getting an epidural for a couple weeks now. And although I may change my mind when I actually journey through labor, I am fairly confident that I have made a decision on the subject. First, I decided to gather more information on getting an epidural and sort out all of my options. This is what I have gathered about getting an epidural for pain relief during labor (from babycenter).

The procedure: You will most likely need to be in active labor (4 or 5 centimeters dilated with regular contractions) before starting epidural pain relief. It is never too late to get an epidural unless the baby's head is crowning. You lie curled on your side or sit on the edge of the bed while an anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist injects numbing medicine to the area and guides a needle into your lower back, through which a catheter is passed and the needle is then removed. A "test dose" is given to ensure correct placement and your baby's heartbeat is monitored continuously, as well as your blood pressure. It takes about 10-20 minutes to feel the numbing effect, but numbing in the uterus may begin within just a few minutes. After delivery, the catheter will be removed, but may remain in a little longer if you've had a c-section.

Pros:

• Potentially very effective pain relief than can be used throughout your labor
• The type, amount, and strength of the medication can be adjusted at any time
• It will keep you awake and alert during labor and birth
• Being pain-free during labor could help save your energy for when it comes time to push
• A smaller amount of medication reaches your baby than using systemic narcotics
• It can provide anesthesia if you need a c-section or your tubes tied after delivery
• You can have the epidural dose lowered while you're pushing so you can participate more actively in your baby's delivery, but there's no evidence that reducing the dose actually shortens this stage of labor

Cons:

• Depending on the type and amount of medication, you may lose some sensation in your legs and be unable to stand
• Most practitioners won't allow you to get out of bed once you've had an epidural
• An IV, frequent blood pressure monitoring, and continuous fetal monitoring is required
• The pushing stage of labor can be prolonged due to the loss of sensation in your lower body, which weakens your bearing-down reflex to push your baby out
• It is more likely you will have a vacuum extraction or forceps delivery, which increases your risk for serious lacerations and the risk of bruising your baby
• In some cases, the epidural only provides spotty pain relief or the catheter can "drift" slightly, causing a need for the catheter to be reinserted for another try (which may also be spotty)
• The drugs can temporarily lower your blood pressure, reducing blood flow to your baby and reducing her heart rate (which has to be treated with fluids and medication)
• Narcotics delivered through the epidural can cause your face to become itchy, or bring on nausea
• Anesthetics delivered through an epidural can make it more difficult to tell when you need to pee (if you cannot pee on your own, you may need to have a catheter inserted into your urethra)
• An epidural raises your risk of running a fever in labor, possibly because you pant and sweat less (since you're not in pain), so it's harder for your body to give off the heat generated by labor (and since it's unclear at first whether the fever is from the epidural or an infection, you and your baby could wind up getting unnecessary antibiotics)
• Epidurals are associated with a higher rate of babies in the posterior or "face up" position at delivery--which will cause you to have a longer labor and run a greater risk of needing a c-section
• In 1 in 100 women, an epidural causes a bad headache that may last for days, due to a leakage of spinal fluid (you can reduce the risk of headache by lying as still as possible while the needle is being placed)
• In very rare cases, an epidural affects your breathing, and in extremely rare cases it causes nerve injury or infection

My decision: If you know me at all or have been following my blog, isn't it quite obvious by now?! While I have yet to experience the astonishing and painful experience of going through a labor and delivery, I definitely don't think any of the "pros" are worth arguing about. It is said that labor and delivery is one of the most painful experiences that anyone can go through, so why wouldn't you want to be able to ease some of that pain, be entirely alert for the birth of your child, and be able to control the medicine when you see fit? Well, as with any medical invention (as scientifically sound as we may think it is), there come risks that we have to be willing to face. In this case that includes a prolonged "pushing" stage of labor, the need for a vacuum extraction or forceps delivery, bruising to my baby, the lowering of my blood pressure and baby's heart rate, nausea spells, the need for a urinary catheter, running a fever and receiving potentially unnecessary antibiotics, a posterior delivery, a headache spanning several days post-delivery, and potential nerve injury or infection. Yikes! Of course I know these are all risks that may not occur during my labor/delivery, but I have always had faith in nature don't feel like putting my body and my baby in the hands of science. In the end, I have decided to include a natural non-epidural labor and birth in my birth plan.

Lastly, I wanted to share this video of a natural labor and delivery, that I have found to be very inspiring. It does show everything, so if you don't want to see a baby coming out, don't watch it!! If you are willing to be enlightened, click here. :)

I had an appointment with my midwife today that was really pleasant. It was just a quick routine visit, nothing out of the ordinary. I was pretty excited to hear my little roo's heartbeat again; that will never get old! During my next appointment, I will have more bloodwork to check my levels against what they were back in October since the amount of blood in my body has nearly doubled! About two weeks ago I started taking an iron supplement, so I am not too worried about my red blood cell count this time. I didn't really want to take any prenatals or other vitamins, but to be extra cautious I decided to seek out a natural iron supplement. I ended up choosing Garden of Life's Vitamin Code of Raw Iron. It is completely vegan and all of the ingredients are derived from herbal sources rather than animal or chemical sources. This raw, unprocessed capsule also includes Vitamin C, Vitamin B12 and Folate as an added bonus!

Another issue that was only lightly touched on at my appointment, but I have been beginning to think about lately is where I want to give birth. Now don't be freaked about about me having a natural pregnancy and wanting a natural childbirth--that is true to an extent, however, I'm leaning towards giving birth in a hospital (as opposed to a birthing center or having a home birth). Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have a midwife deliver my baby in a birthing center, but for insurance reasons and to keep my boyfriend at ease with putting up with me, I do think a hospital is the best way for us to go.

Newton-Wellesley Hospital vs. Brigham and Women's Hospital

So here's my dilemma: my OB practice only has privileges with Newton-Wellesley Hospital, but I am not sure I want to deliver there. I have looked into a couple of reputable hospitals in the area, and would really prefer Brigham and Women's Hospital. Brigham and Women's is closer to the South Shore area where we will most likely be living, as opposed to Newton-Wellesley being almost 10 miles further away (which could be a real pain, depending on the time of day and traffic). Brigham and Women's is also the leading hospital in the region for women's healthcare and has a separate pediatrics facility right next door--the buildings are actually connected by a bridge. The labor and delivery room looks extremely comfortable with a place for my boyfriend to relax (or sleep, if necessary), a TV, an option for playing music, a mini fridge, labor relievers (like stretching bands and a labor ball), and other things I know I am forgetting right now. They also have a very reputable maternity staff including nurses and lactation consultants, as well as the OB doctor who will be doing the delivery. It's not that Newton-Wellesley, doesn't have comfortable rooms or a knowledgeable staff, I just literally fell in love with Brigham and Women's online maternity ward tour video [here] as opposed to Newton-Wellesley's [here]. The biggest reason for wanting to give birth at Brigham and Women's has to be the fact that I really want to be able to bank and donate my baby's umbilical cord blood, and that is a service not available at Newton-Wellesley. You can read more about it [here] if you are interested, but banking cord blood is a great opportunity to help patients with diseases even as severe as leukemia to make a full recovery. Cord blood is stored for its stem cells that are the building blocks of the blood and the immune system and are often successful as transplants because they are immature cells that do not yet know how to attack foreign substances. Since this process would not interfere with my birth plan, poses no risks to me or my baby, and takes less than 10 minutes, I definitely want to jump on the opportunity to save a life. Who knows, my baby could benefit from a stem cell transplant one day!

Anyway, when I casually mentioned different hospitals today, my midwife basically said that I would definitely be delivering at Newton-Wellesley since that is the hospital they are affiliated with. I was distraught and stressed about this and began madly googling it as soon as we got in the car. While it is recommended that patients deliver at the hospital where their OB has privileges, I have decided that I love my midwife and do not want to switch practices, so I will be keeping my current OB, and I also feel that delivering at the hospital where I feel most comfortable and that I feel is right for me and my baby is also important, so I will stick with my decision of giving birth at Brigham and Women's. I know my OB or midwife will not have privileges to aid in my delivery, but the person delivering my baby is probably who I will be seeing the least of anyway and I won't mind it being a member of the Brigham and Women's staff. When the date gets closer, I will have my OB fax my patient file to the hospital and I will have a printed copy of my birth plan to bring in my hospital bag on the day of delivery.

There we go, problem solved! (a special thanks to google and all the moms who asked a similar question!)

I got my lab results back this morning. I was happy to see that my folate and B12 levels are exactly on track. However, my red blood cell count is unfortunately low, which means I am anemic and my organs aren't getting the oxygen that they require. I haven't spoken with my doctor yet, but I am guessing this is due to an iron deficiency (iron helps in the production of red blood cells) or vitamin c deficiency (vitamin c helps with the absorption of iron). While I am waiting to hear back from my doctor I am currently increasing my iron and vitamin c intake, just in case. Hopefully everything will turn out alright eventually.

To be honest, I am a little worried, but I am also fairly confident that I can manage mine and my baby's health through a well-balanced diet and not have to resort to pills or medicine of any kind. I'm hoping to keep my entire pregnancy all natural.