32 weeks

We had, what we hope will be, our last ultrasound today. And everything is fine fine fine. It's official - we're having a girl! (mami, you can continue knitting in pink.) When we had an ultrasound back at week 19 the technician was pretty sure that we were having a girl, but it was still a little early to say fer sure, fer sure. But this time there was no doubt about it. And we got a perfect score on all counts --> heartbeat: good; amniotic fluid volume: good; fetal movement: good; respiratory movement: good; presentation: cephalic (aka head down, ready to go!).

Super Girl

It was so good to see her again. She raised her fist in a power-to-the-people kinda way and she scratched her head just like her papa always does. More than ever we've been completely distracted by the bump and it's movements. It really is trippy. At Easter dinner, the whole family just sat in silence (a rare occurrence in the Flores household) to watch the kicks, twists and turns and at work yesterday a few of the ladies surrounded me to watch the floor show, Baby Bump Does Macarena. It is such a strange sensation and so very hard to explain, but it always makes me smile when I feel it. And for Jay it's all brand new, every time. I wonder what she must think when she hears us oohing and ahhing at her every move. If she's anything like her ma and pa, she's loving every minute of it!

The Perfect Guide

I was surfing around the net and found a few funnies. This one I liked especially...

The oppression continues, but only ever so slightly. Or maybe it just doesn't bother me as much anymore. I've been reading this most awesome book, Ina May's Guide to Childbirth and it really is amazing.

Not only is it helping me understand why women have such "unpleasant" attitudes towards labour & birth, but it's helping me prepare myself for what's to come and how to deal with it. Not only is this book filled with positive natural birth stories, it also deals with everything from what happens during the various stages of labour to pregnancy and prenatal care. Some of my favourite sections so far (besides the birth stories): The Powerful Mind/Body Connection, Orgasmic Birth and Respecting Our Bodies.

The more I read, the more I'm drawn to a natural labour. Most people think I'm nuts and react with "ya right, wait till the pain kicks in". I've gone through two miscarriages. Both were extremely painful. For the first one, I was being treated by an OB and when they couldn't detect a fetal heart beat at my 12 week ultrasound I was told that I had a miscarriage and that I would bleed a bit in order to pass the sac, etc. What I wasn't told was that I would bleed so much and go through so much pain that I would end up in the hospital emergency room for hours, where I would eventually be told by a doctor that I was having a miscarriage. Duh! But what's with all of the pain, I wanted to know. Well, I was told, in order for everything to pass I would need to go through contractions for the cervix to dilate enough for my body to expel what it needed to expel. The second time, similar situation. But this time I was with a midwife and I knew what to expect. Although it was painful, at least I knew that I wasn't going to die.

I wish that I knew then what I know now, perhaps I wouldn't have suffered so much. I would have been able to let it pass instead of fighting it. I'm not saying that the contractions and dilation that occurred during those miscarriages will match what's to come during labour, but at least I've had a little taste. And now, armed with some knowledge (thanks Ina May!) and surrounded by people who love and care for me and encourage me every step of the way, I feel that this is something that I may be able to conquer after all.

And just as an excercise, I keep a ruler & tape measure close by as a reminder of what 10cm really looks like. And it ain't so bad....yikes!