Great cleaning tool and tip!

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B013QDYGWK

I found a great tool for cleaning, a way to clean surfaces without chemicals.  These cloths are just like Norwex, but a small fraction of the price.  Clean the surface with any rag or cloth, and wipe dry with a Souwax cloth to polish and remove streaks and leave your surface shiny and clean.  So now I don't use any Windex to clean my glass surfaces, I just use these cloths!  Try them out!

What you don't know about your cervix

What!? Where?

Most women have no clue what their cervix is, where it is, its function or even what it looks like. Well, here’s where it is:

And it looks like this (much like the head of a penis):

The first time I learned about basic reproductive anatomy, I was pregnant with my first child, and the only thing I really learned about the cervix is that it was at the bottom of my uterus (liking my cervix to the opening of a balloon and my uterus was the balloon part waiting to expand), and was supposed to dilate to from 0 to 10 during labor. It was also supposed to thin out (efface) and go from what is like the tip of my nose to the web of skin between my index finger and thumb…melt away kind of like a lifesaver. And that my cervix might need to be checked during labor to asses its progress.

But that was it. It wasn’t until I was well into being a childbirth educator and a doula did I find out some other things about the cervix. Things that would change how I forever approach supporting women in labor and birth.

Cervix Myth #1: 10 is the Magic Number

No, it is not. Did you know that you can dilate past 10? What?! Now what are we all supposed to do? That sounds horrific! It IS horrific, right?

Not really. Not any more so than dilating to 10 is. I dilated well beyond 10 cm with my last birth, where my baby’s head measured at a whooping 14.75 cm. That’s right, I dilated almost to 15 cm. And guess what, I lived. And guess what, too….it didn’t hurt any more than my other births where I dilated to just 10. So, just because you are 10 cm doesn’t necessarily mean you are ready to push. If you do not feel the urge to push at 10 cm and are instructed to do so, you will force the cervix open “against its will” and bruise the cervix. And if you have an epidural and don’t feel the urge, you are at even higher risk of injuring yourself.

Cervix Myth #2: Your Cervix Dilates in a Nice, Neat Circle

Your cervix does not dilate in a nice, neat circle like all the dilation model depict. It actually opens like an ellipse as depicted here

Source: MidwifeThinking.com

“It opens from the back to the front like an ellipse. The os (opening) is found tucked at the back of the vagina in early labour and opens forward. At some point in labour almost every woman will have an anterior lip (meaning the top of the cervix isn’t completely dilated) because this is the last part of the cervix to be pulled up over the baby’s head. Whether this lip is detected depends on whether/when a vaginal examination is performed. A posterior lip is almost unheard of because this part of the cervix disappears first. Or rather it becomes difficult to reach with fingers first.”

Cervix Myth #3: Vaginal Exams Do Not Harm the Cervix and/or Hinder Dilation

Midwife Carla Hartley at Ancient Art Midwifery puts it this way:

“The cervix is not meant to be touched, there is an inflammation response from the foreign material (glove) as well as the pressure, and a hormonal response. It may be confusing to the body that while it is trying to empty the uterus there is interference from the cervix being touched and manipulated in a way that it is not meant to have to deal with. VAGINAL EXAMS ARE NOT PHYSIOLOGICAL AND ARE AN INTERRUPTION TO THE NATURAL PROCESS OF BIRTH.

Here is the thing about pushing….DON’T….your body knows how to eject a baby without your help….it is a reflex. Don’t even expect an urge…..expect a sensation of your body taking over in a big way, getting that baby out…..as it is DESIGNED to do…

I talk a lot about digital and verbal abuse in labor and vaginal exams are an example of digital abuse.

Midwives [and OB's and nurses] who think vaginal exams are a good thing or necessary do not have sufficient education or they have not kept up with emerging science that proves that birth is safer if left alone. Hanzoffa, hanzoutta, mouthshutta midwifery is the safest.”

Cervix Myth #4: Your Cervix is Different and Isolated From All Other Body Parts

Ina May Gaskin, the mother of modern midwifery, has coined a term called “The Sphincter Law”. The Sphincter Law states:

Your sphincters (including your excretory, cervical and vaginal) are responsible for releasing your baby into this world. If your sphincters are tight you may not progress, and you will probably experience more pain.

So what exactly is Ina May’s “Sphincter Law”?

1. Excretory, cervical (your cervix), and vaginal sphincters function best in an atmosphere of intimacy and privacy. For example, a bathroom with a locking door or a bedroom where interruption is unlikely or impossible.

2. These sphincters cannot be opened at will and do not respond well to commands such as push or relax!

3. When a person’s sphincter is in the process of opening, it may suddenly close down if that person becomes upset, frightened, humiliated, or self conscious. Why? High levels of adrenaline in the bloodstream do not favor (sometimes, they actually prevent) the opening of sphincters. This inhibition factors is one important reason why women in traditional societies may have mostly chosen women, except in extraordinary circumstances, to attend them in labor and birth.

4. The state of relaxation of the mouth and jaw is directly correlated to the ability of the cervix, the vagina, and the anus to open to full capacity

Did you catch that? In other words,

Open Mouth=Open Cervix

Open Throat=Open Vagina

It is near impossible to birth effectively with tightly pursed lips and a closed off throat. Go ahead, try it right now….when you relax your jaw, open your mouth and open your throat, your bottoms automatically relaxes and sinks into your chair. Ina May talks about the benefits of kissing, and keeping the lips and mouth lose and open. Kissing also releases oxytocin adn other love hormones that raise your pain tolerance level and speeds labor along.

Please enjoy this short video of Ina May talking about The Sphincter Law

SOURCE: http://www.birthologie.com/birth/what-you-dont-know-about-your-cervix/

Aflac in Utah

For those planning to get pregnant and use maternity insurance, you may want to sign up now. On February 15th you will no longer be able to sign up for AFLAC hospitalization insurance in Utah. Please contact supplementalinsurance@live.com if you would like to sign up. Thanks!

Doctor's Notes

I have a copy of the doctor's notes from my fourth delivery. I always love my doctor's notes to see what they have to say about me, but this one is so funny I thought I would post it on this blog.

Date of Service: 03/06/2009

HISTORY OF PRESENT ILLNESS: This a 26 year old patient of Dr. ____ who precipitously delivered a 35 week infant in her car on the way to the hospital. The patient's pregnancy has been significant for her preterm labor in the past. She received progesterone shots up until 32 weeks after which she reported that due to side effects that she was unable to tolerate them any further. She was admitted last weekend to the hospital with preterm contractions and was given a dose of steroids apparently at some point during her pregnancy. She has been experiencing contractions for the last 3 days and reports that they got stronger this evening. She got in the car with her husband to drive to the hospital for further evaluation when she delivered in the car. I received a call from the emergency room physician who reported that the patient was being transferred to labor and delivery, but the baby was fully delivered and appeared vigorous upon arrival to the emergency room.

DELIVERING PHYSICIAN: None.

ESTIMATED BLOOD LOSS: Unknown, although the patient has very little bleeding at this point in time.

FINDINGS: A viable male infant weighing 5 pounds 15, that is 2694 g. Apgars are unknown and unassigned by the nursery as they were not present at the time of the delivery.

LABOR AND DELIVERY: As mentioned above, the patient precipitously delivered in the car on the way to the hospital. She reports that her water broke just prior to arrival and she immediately delivered without complication. The cord was clamped and cut by the nurse from labor and delivery where the placenta was delivered by one of the nurses. The uterine fundus was immediately firm after this. I arrived and evaluated the patient. Her fundus was firm. She had very little bleeding. At that time, perineal exam revealed no obvious lacerations that required repair. There were some very superficial lacerations that did not require any suturing. The patient remained in the room in good condition, and the infant is currently in the newborn nursery being evaluated.

Disclaimer

I am not a medical doctor, nor am I YOUR medical doctor. I am a mother of four who hungers for knowledge regarding pregnancy and childbirth for whatever reason, I don't know. I created this blog for people who were constantly asking me questions about these topics so they would have a place to return and read about these topics. Please consult your doctor before you do anything regarding your or your baby's bodies. Thanks!

17-AlphaHydroxyProgesterone Caproate

Sometimes called 17P or p17 or progesterone shots. Used to be called Delalutin. It's the new thing. It's all the rage. It's one of the best proven techniques to stop preterm labor in women pregnant with singletons these days. And the strange thing is, a lot of doctors aren't doing it yet. It's kind of a new thing, well a new, old thing. That's right, my mother-in-law took it when she was pregnant, but they stopped using it, like so many drugs, when there were a few lawsuits against it.

17P shots are a thick substance that must be injected intra-muscularly. They are somewhat painful, and the injection site can become irritated and itchy.

These shots work by relaxing the uterus and preventing it from contracting. They are quite effective. I went into labor at 24 weeks with this last one, and I began taking my Nifedipine pills which make me very miserable. Within a few days my doctor had me on these shots and within a week I was scarcely having any contractions. I did have a handful of days where I had some breakthrough contractions, but they all took place the day before my next shot.

It was actually a fun process for a medically minded person like me to learn how to give myself an injection, my husband did the first few and I did the rest.

Doctors may differ on treatments with these shots. Some start at 16 weeks gestation, others will wait until preterm labor begins. And it is up to you and your doctor to decide when to discontinue treatment. Theory might be that labor will begin within 2 weeks of discontinuing treatment and the hormones are completely out of your system. But it really depends on the cause of preterm labor, and each individual's body. My personal experience was that I didn't dilate at all while on the injections, so once I discontinued, I had 5 weeks before I delivered, but I always dilate early and slowly. I also, discontinued treatment at 30-ish weeks due to the nausea I was having associated with the injections. So it kept me pregnant until 35 weeks which was amazing!

If I was the doctor giving out treatment, I would start injections at 24 weeks and end at 35 weeks. Then if it did take 2 weeks to deliver, the baby will still be term.

I want to mention that I did also receive a steroid shot for the baby's lungs at 32 weeks. At my hospital, the latest they will administer the shot is 32 weeks and it must be done at Labor and Delivery with an hour of fetal/contraction monitoring. If there is any indication prior to 32 weeks that you might deliver prematurely, I would definitely push for the steroid shots before it's too late. Any help for the baby is worth it's weight in gold!

The side effects of these progesterone shots are all those that can be associated with hormones. My body is very sensitive to hormones and thus these injections made me feel like I had returned to my first trimester. Very few people complain of that, but it was still worth prolonging my pregnancy as long as it did.

If you are experiencing or have experienced preterm labor, talk with your dr. to see if they think this is a treatment worth trying. A lot of doctors haven't tried it before and after researching they might be very interested in this treatment.

Ahem, is anyone still there?

Soooo, this blog has been sadly neglected pretty much ever since I got pregnant with #4. I'm glad a lot of the information that people asked me about frequently is already posted. Mr. #4 really changed my life in a lot of ways. First of all, that pregnancy was the worst one I've had yet. I went into labor at 24 weeks, and spent the rest of my pregnancy injecting and pill-popping to keep him in. As a result I would like to add some posts about preterm labor and some of my techniques and solutions. Second, I studied the natural child birth thing with him and was really hoping to keep my labor drug-free. Well, my "active labor" as they call it, lasted 20 minutes start to finish, and I delivered my own baby in the front seat of my suburban as we drove to the hospital. I'm not kidding. I did it as natural as you can, and as a result of that I would like to post a little bit about natural child birth. And last, I just survived the hardest summer of my life. I have a 5 year old, 3 year old, 23 month old, and 6month old. Having all four of them home all summer was really hard. School starting has saved me. But because of this difficult summer, I have some new ideas about parenting. I'll hopefully get around to posting some of that.

Don't expect much, I still have 4 kids. But hopefully I'll post some of these things to share with all my readers.

And for anyone who has contacted my insurance agent about "maternity" insurance, things are always changing. They just lost a great policy and gained a new one. Contact him again if you are thinking about getting pregnant, and make some money off of it.

Top 7 ways to have an unnecessary C-section

Stolen from this blog

7. Go the hospital in the early phases of labor. Get there realllly early so you feel a lot pressure to perform, even though you know that labor is usually a slow process. The earlier the better so you can get tagged with ‘failure to progress’ and get started with a series of medical interventions that’ll often end in a c-section.

6. Don’t eat or drink during a long labor. Just wear yourself out completely and then complain loudly of fatigue. This will up your chances of medical personnel suggesting the solution.

5. Get an amniotomy too soon. Once they burst your bubble you’re now on the clock for a cesarean. If you manage to move along at a snail’s pace you’re sure to end up under the knife!

4. Accept pitocin to induce or stimulate contractions. Since fetal distress is associated with the drug, you’ll have to have continuous electronic fetal heart monitoring which will immobilize you. Good call! The less you move around the better - that’s sure to slow the train. Plus, the drug-induced contractions are so strong you’ll be screaming for an epidural in no time.

3. Request an epidural. Now you’re totally immobilized, yay! Labor’s progress will likely slow down even further and pushing effectively will likely be much harder since you can’t get into any vertical or squatting positions that would work in your favor.

2. Accept hospital staff’s comments on lack of progress without challenge. Once they start complaining that you’re poking along and taking up space, get discouraged and give up. Turn all decisions over to them and you’ll be wheeled away in no time.

1. Just ask! Oh yeah … these days you don’t actually need to go through the hassle of labor at all. Just call up your OB and tell him/her you’d like to schedule your baby - the whole pushing a baby out thing is so inconvenient and last millenium. Your OB will probably be relieved anyways because you’ll be one less lady who might interrupt a good night’s sleep.

*A note on this list: Clearly there are real medical emergencies that can happen, and in those cases c-sections can be true life savers. However, the sad fact is that most cesareans are not done for legitimate medical reasons and in the last decade the number of c-sections has doubled to over 30% of US births. It’s not surprising that so many doctors are in favor of elective cesareans - after all, it’s certainly more convenient and they get to charge lots more $$$. As for us moms who get to make this choice - my feeling is that many women are just not well informed about the risks … because make no mistake: a c-section is a major abdominal surgery and poses significantly more risks to both mom and baby.

And since I like to end on an upbeat note, I wanted to share the cartoon above because it accurately reflects my feelings at this stage.

It's a boy

For those who haven't heard yet, it's another boy! We are so excited to be having our FOURTH boy, and can't wait to meet him.

Gender Study

Boys Preferred Over Girls, Poll Shows

Americans Show Slight Baby Gender Preference for Boys If Limited to 1 Child

By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

July 6, 2007 -- People in the U.S. show a slight baby gender preference for having a boy instead of a girl if they were only able to have one child.

That's according to a new Gallup poll on baby gender preferences.

The telephone poll, conducted in June, included about 1,000 U.S. adults. They were asked: "Suppose you could only have one child. Would you prefer that it be a boy or a girl?"

Here are the participants' baby gender preferences:

• Boy: 37%
• Girl: 28%
• Either/doesn't matter: 26%
• Not sure/no opinion: 9%

The "either/doesn't matter" choice wasn't mentioned as an option by the pollsters. But more than a quarter of the participants expressed that view anyway.

Modbe Virtual Party

So I'm not a salesperson. Really I'm not. I'm not quite as bad as my husband who seems to almost always give away things when he's trying to sell them. But I'm close. A few months back I signed on as a salesperson for Modbe Clothing. I love their clothes, and think they are very high quality, but a little bit expensive. So I signed up as a sales rep, not to sell it to people, but to hopefully get the discount for me and my sisters.

Well, Modbe Clothing currently is offering a sale that will give discounts to "party" go-ers that is better than the discount I get as a consultant. So I decided now was an excellent time to throw a party and offer that discount to anyone I know who wants to order some Modbe clothes. So I am offering a "virtual" party to anyone who reads my blog and wants to order.

Here is the deal. They have given me my own modbe website. It is https://www.modbeclothing.com/ericalow. When you type in the party code of 985, and order 3 or more items, you can get 10% off of your order. There is a 30% off coupon with the code of MSHM69DF that you can use even with only 1 item. So when they take 10% off of your already 30% off order, it equals 37% off. That is an incredible deal!

It is nice that it can all be done online now, although if you are wanting to try the clothing on, I will have all the sizes of their clothes at my house on Thursday, November 20th, and in Bountiful on Friday, November 21st. I will be closing the party on Saturday, so if you want to make an order, please try to do so before then. Orders can be anytime now until Saturday.

I am pretty excited about their fall clothes, I ordered some workout capris, the cowl neck shirt, the jeans, and the hoodie where you stick your thumbs through. They tell me that you can wear the jeans through pregnancy because they are stretchy, and I'm hoping they are right, because I am SO sick of maternity clothes.

Coloring Books, Schmoloring Books

Visit the following website and never spend $3.00 on a 20 page coloring book again. We print out pages from our movie of choice on Sunday morning and take them with us to church. I have a laser printer, so I don't pay for ink, and a ream of paper costs $3.00. So we can print out a lot of pictures, in whatever design we want. We love it, and use it all the time, so I thought I'd pass it on!

http://www.coloring-book.info/coloring/

Cool birth video

http://www.visibleproductions.com/showcase/medlegal/medlegal_3.html

This is an animated demonstration of birth, it is way cool! Don't be afraid to click on it, it's not graphic or disturbing. My first and third needed to see this video before birth, because they just didn't do it the right way. (They were posterior, and my first was delivered face up.... ouch!) Now if I can just figure out a way to get this baby to watch the video. Maybe at the end when my skin is all stretched out, he can see through my belly. I'll just smash my belly up against the computer screen. Now there's a lovely picture!

Another funny thing from my pregnancy journal

I haven't read this since I have had children. I am grateful we haven't been through anything like this... yet.

For those with No children- this is totally hysterical!
For those who already have children past this age, this is hilarious.
For those who have children this age, this is not funny.
For those who have children nearing this age, this is a warning.
For those who have not yet had children, this is birth control!

The following came from an anonymous Mother in Austin, Texas:
Things I've learned from my Children (honest & no kidding):

1. A king size waterbed holds enough water to fill a 2000 sq. ft.
house 4 inches deep.

2. If you spray hair spray on dust bunnies and run over them with
roller blades, they can ignite.

3. A 3-year old's voice is louder than 200 adults in a crowded
restaurant.

4. If you hook a dog leash over a ceiling fan, the motor is not strong
enough to rotate a 42 pound boy wearing Batman underwear and a
Superman cape. It is strong enough, however, if tied to a paint can,
to spread paint on all four walls of a 20x20 ft. room.

5. You should not throw baseballs up when the ceiling fan is on. When
using a ceiling fan as a bat, you have to throw the ball up a few
times before you get a hit. A ceiling fan can hit a baseball a long
way.

6. The glass in windows (even double-pane) doesn't stop a baseball hit
by a ceiling fan.

7. When you hear the toilet flush and the words "uh oh," it's already
too late.

8. Brake fluid mixed with Clorox makes smoke, and lots of it.

9. A six-year old can start a fire with a flint rock even though a 36-
year old man says they can only do it in the movies.

10. Certain Lego's will pass through the digestive tract of a 4-year
old.

11. Play dough and microwave should not be used in the same sentence.

12. Super glue is forever.

13. No matter how much Jell-O you put in a swimming pool you still
can't walk on water.

14. Pool filters do not like Jell-O.

15. VCR's do not eject PB&J sandwiches even though TV commercials show
they do.

16. Garbage bags do not make good parachutes.

17. Marbles in gas tanks make lots of noise when driving.

18. You probably do not want to know what that odor is.

19. Always look in the oven before you turn it on; plastic toys do not
like ovens.

20. The fire department in Austin, TX has a 5-minute response time.

21. The spin cycle on the washing machine does not make earthworms
dizzy.

22. It will, however, make cats dizzy.

23. Cats throw up twice their body weight when dizzy.

24. The mind of a 6-year old is wonderful. First grade...true story:
One day the first grade teacher was reading the story of the Three
Little Pigs to her class. She came to the part of the story where the
first pig was trying to accumulate the building materials for his
home. She read,"..And so the pig went up to the man with the
wheelbarrow full of straw and said, 'Pardon me sir, but may I have
some of that straw to build my house?'" The teacher paused then asked
the class, "And what do you think that man said?" One little boy
raised his hand and said, "I think he said...'Holy crap! A talking
pig!'" The teacher was unable to teach for the next 10 minutes.

25. 60% of men who read this will try mixing the Clorox and brake
fluid.

16 week ultrasound

Well I convinced my dr to do an ultrasound today
.It's either a boy with tiny parts or a girl with big parts. Totally inconclusive. The baby cooperated just right, I don't think he/she ever even moved, just gave us a great shot of it's genitals. But we couldn't decide what those genitals were. It kind of looked like labia, but with a pretty big clitoris. So I guess I'll need to get another u/s next week and see. I told my doctor I needed a %, so he said 60% girl. But he wouldn't go higher than that. I'm glad at least that there is a higher % of girl than boy. But unfortunately, I going to have to muster up some more patience. What do you think it is?

You want more?

You liked that last post? I'll give you more. I have a few more great things in my pregnancy journal, I'll share them all. This one for some reason makes me cry. Let me know if it does the same for you. Maybe I'm just weird. It was written by Vanessa Sands to her unborn child, and I think it is just beautiful. Next time I'll post another funny one, but I hope you enjoy this.

"I sit here tonight with my journal propped up on my amazingly protruding abdomen, smiling to myself as you frequently make writing difficult with your rolling and kicking. You are my fourth child, the one I thought I'd never have until I felt you call me in my dreams. And you are, with all the certainty we can have about these things, the last. With you, I feel we have rounded up all the little souls destined to compose our family. With you, I feel complete. Yet, I know with the same certainty that I will miss this sense of expectancy, these quiet hours just before a dawn that will change all of our lives forever.

My childbearing years have been a wonderful, magical, although sometimes difficult journey through the strengths and weaknesses of my body and soul. In my lengthy, difficult labors I've found strength I did not know I possessed, courage I did not know I'd need, faith I did not know existed. I have never been able to deliver a baby naturally; despite my most fervent efforts, your brother and sisters have all been born surgically. I will tell you and them, often, that this is not the way we are meant to give birth, and that I loved you enough to exhaust all the possibilities before agreeing to schedule a fourth cesarean.

And that happens in just a few short hours. Soon, Daddy and I will grab a blue canvas bag that holds, among other things, a tiny sleeper and an impossibly little blue hooded sweater. These are the clothes I will first dress you in, other than bleached hospital cottons; these are the clothes into which I will put you, the gleefully kicking, punching soon-to-be-newborn, for your trip home. A surreal concept for me now, here in the moonlight.
But first, you have another trip to make. A journey from warmth and water to bright lights and cold -- ending finally in the security of my arms and the warmth at my breast.

No longer mine alone
I know we should be resting; it's after midnight. But I can't bring myself to sleep away these last few hours of magic. I don't want to miss one sudden lurch or slow turn inside. I don't want to while away our last few hours of aloneness in sleep. Come morning, you will never be just mine again. Come morning, I will never be this full of life, this sparkling with possibility, again.
By an hour ago, I'd done all the tasks assigned me in the hospital literature. Ate a good meal, stopped eating and drinking at midnight, packed all the necessities. Only one thing remained: a good, long shower, my last for a couple days until the catheter is removed and I'm again steady on my feet. Relaxed and warm, I stepped out of the shower and dried myself off. It was then that I caught my reflection in the full length mirror of the shower doors.
How ripe I appeared -- how full and hopeful. My body looked to me like the tree buds just outside the window, on the verge of bloom. As I ran my hands across my vein-laced abdomen, I knew with certainty how very much I'd miss this silhouette, this fullness that signals to the world that I am accomplishing, from a biological perspective, what I came here for. I stood in awe at my no-longer- perky breasts, amazed that in just a few hours they would again sustain that life so very persistent in its movements tonight. I stared into my face, rounder and ruddier than usual, and saw something at once powerful and soft that has eluded my perception before.
The pregnant body is so often the subject of jokes and chiding -- I have laughed often and well over it, I admit. But not tonight. After four pregnancies and alone with my thoughts, I finally see this ridiculous hugeness as what it is: bordering on the miraculous... The one true thing that connects me with my mother, her mother, the mother before her. They are gone, but this rite we share brings us together in a way defying words. Those women gave me life that I am now blessed to share. I find myself wondering tonight why we berate ourselves for every pound gained, for every curve disappearing or reappearing in another place, for every amazing change that happens as without volition as a heartbeat.
No, instead of laughing at my proportions this evening -- or criticizing my body's stubborn refusal to open -- I finally appreciate my own body and its capacity to produce life. This is your gift to me.
So I'll not complain in these, the last of our hours together like this, if I cannot get comfortable or stop the heartburn or refrain from one more trip to the bathroom. I'll treasure it all, store it away in the hope chest of my mind, and pull it all out for you when you want to know. I have so cherished giving up my body for you, and for your siblings. I would do it time and time again if circumstances were different.

Your day
But tomorrow is you -- you will join us tomorrow and make us whole. You will either finally satisfy the yearning that began with the first subconscious flushes of adolescence or deepen it with your first look into my eyes.
So this is a passing, then, from one stage of my life into another. The seeds have been sown, and now I must nurture your growth -- until one day you produce seeds of your own, and the circle is complete. How wonderful the plan of life is; how joyful in its manifestation! I must remember, and you will teach me, that every stage has its merits, that time does pass and seasons change.
I must stop writing now. My arms ache with both the yearning to hold you and the desire to contain you within. Now starts the first, most heartbreaking lesson of parenting, learned anew with every newborn child: to love completely, we must first let go. So it begins again today, May third: your birthday.
Good morning, son."

Funny Pregnancy Q&A

I found this in my journal from my first pregnancy. I have no idea where I found it then, but it is pretty funny.

Q. What is the most common pregnancy craving?
A. For men to be the ones who get pregnant.

Q. My husband and I are very attractive. I'm sure our baby will be beautiful enough for commercials. Whom should I contact about this?
A. Your therapist.

Q. I'm two months pregnant now. When will my baby move?
A. With any luck, right after he finishes college.

Q. How will I know if my vomiting is morning sickness or the flu?
A. If it's the flu, you'll get better.

Q. My brother tells me that since my husband has a big nose, and genes for big noses are dominant, my baby will have a big nose as well. Is this true?
A. The odds are greater that your brother will have a fat lip.

Q. Since I became pregnant, My breasts, rear end, and even my feet have grown. Is there anything that gets smaller during pregnancy?
A. Yes, your bladder.

Q. The more pregnant I get, the more often strangers smile at me. Why?
A. Because you're fatter then they are.

Q. Will I love my dog less when the baby is born?
A. No, but your husband might get on your nerves.

Q. What's the difference between a nine-months pregnant woman and a Playboy centerfold?
A. Nothing, if the pregnant woman's husband knows what's good for him.

Q. My childbirth instructor says it's not pain I'll feel during labor, but pressure. Is she right?
A. Yes, in the same way that a tornado might be called an air current.

Q. When is the best time to get an epidural?
A. Right after you find out your pregnant.

Q. I'm modest. Once I'm in the hospital to deliver, who will see me in that delicate position?
A. Authorized personnel only---doctors, nurses, orderlies, photographers, florists, cleaning crews, journalists, etc.

Q. Does labor cause hemorrhoids?
A. Labor causes anything you want to blame it for.

Q. Where is the best place to store breast milk?
A. In your breasts.

Q. Is there a safe alternative to breast pumps?
A. Yes, baby lips.

Q. How does one sanitize nipples?
A. Bathe daily and wear a clean bra. It beats boiling them in a saucepan.

Q. What are the terrible twos?
A. Your breasts after baby stops nursing cold turkey.

Q. What is the grasp reflex?
A. The reaction of new father's when he sees new mother's breasts.

Q. Can a mother get pregnant while nursing?
A. Yes, but it's much easier if she removes the baby from her breast and puts him to sleep first.

Q. What happens to disposable diapers after they're thrown away?
A. They are stored in a silo in the Midwest, in the event of global chemical warfare.

Q. What causes baby blues?
A. Tanned, hard-bodied bimbos.

Q. What is colic?
A. A reminder for new parents to use birth control.

Intelligender Update

The winner of the Intelligender test took the test today. She already knew that she was having a boy, and the test agreed! So the test was accurate for her, if only it can be accurate for me.....I'll know for sure in a few weeks. I certainly hope it is!

Links

One of our readers submitted the great list of website links.... Thanks Tina!

Natural Birth
http://www.birthingnaturally.net/
http://www.bradleybirth.com/
http://www.mothering.com/articles/pregnancy_birth/birth_preparation/birth_preparation.html
http://www.givingbirthnaturally.com/
http://www.homebirth.org.uk/

Home Birth
IS Homebirth For You?: 6 Myths About Childbirth Exposed
http://www.gentlebirth.org/format/myths.html
Homebirth – Safety and Benefits
http://gentlebirth.org/ronnie/homesafe.html
The Homebirth Choice
http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articles/homebirthchoice.asp
http://homebirth.meetup.com/

Childbirth Preparation Courses
http://www.lamaze.org/
http://www.bradleybirth.com/
http://www.hypnobabies.com/
http://birthingfromwithin.com/
http://www.hypnobirthing.com/

Unassisted Birth
http://www.unassistedchildbirth.com/
http://www.purebirth-australia.com/pregnancy/unassisted-pregnancy-care.html

Birth Centers
www.birthcenters.org/

Cesaren and VBAC
http://www.vbac.com/
http://www.ican-online.org/
http://www.childbirth.org/section/VBACindex.html
http://www.mothering.com/articles/pregnancy_birth/cesarean_vbac/cesarean_vbac.html
http://www.childbirthconnection.org/article.asp?ck=10212

Water Birth
www.waterbirth.org/
www.waterbirthinfo.com/

Breastfeeding
http://www.llli.org//
http://www.breastfeeding.com/
http://www.kellymom.com/
http://www.breastfeedingonline.com/

http://www.drjacknewman.com/

Baby Steals

I have been watching this website www.babysteals.com. They post one deal per day. So far I haven't seen anything that I wanted, until today. I bought the Halo Sleep Sack Swaddler. I have always wanted one of these, and this was a great price. They keep the baby warm, and keep their arms trapped next to them. I always swaddle my babies, so I love this concept. Mine is actually the green one, assuming I'll probably have a boy, but could be used for all babies. They are all sold out today, but check it out every day after 9:00 am when they post a new "steal."