Ive just finished The Complete Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth by Sheila Kitzinger and absolutly recommend it for any woman who is pregnant, whether they are planning a medicated hospital birth or an unmedicated homebirth, this covers pretty much everything!
The beginning of the book is very graphic, the photos are full color of a woman giving birth, absolutly amazing. The pictures go through the beginning stages of crowning all the way to the baby at the breast to nurse. The later pictures where the child is born but still ‘gooey’ with the normal fluids from its trip down the birth canal, these pictures have come in extreemly handy in preparing my children in case they see the baby immediatly after birth. I dont intend on letting them be in the room while I am pushing, they are only 2 and 4 but if they do see the new baby immediately these pictures will have come in very handy so they know what to expect in their new baby sister.
After those photos come the ‘real’ information. The author gives it pretty straight- information on different labour positions, ways to cope with the pain of labour, different types of labour, types of pain relief-both holistic and hard core medical drugs (epidural, stadol etc)
She also covers the first hours of life and what to expect, special needs baby’s, losing a baby and parenthood. This book is absolutly fabulous and is my favorite so far. I have read many books on pregnancy and childbirth and I can easily put this one at the top of my must read list!
The author is very clear and concise in her writing as well, a very easy to read style and a very enjoyable style as well. So much so I have ordered her Homebirth book and am anxiously awaiting its arrival!
Two thirds of the way there! At my prenatal check up I was 15 pounds up from my prepregnancy weight. I have a pretty good sized belly now! And my little baby should be 8-12 inches long and over a pound now. This week alone she should gain about 6 ounces!! Its not fat yet though, all those six ounces will be in bone, muscle, tissue and organ growth!
At this point both baby and you are probably going through a rather uncomfortable and noticable growth spurt which can cause you some back pain. Warm baths, massage and moderate exercise should help with your back pain. Watch your posture carefully and if you are having a lot of pain you can try a belly support belt to try and get the weight and pressure off of your back.
Heartburn is probably also rearing its ugly head around now, your uterus is pushing everything up and that can include your stomach. If this is a problem for you try not to eat or drink too soon before bed and antacids like Mylanta or Tums are safe to take in pregnancy.
You may also suffer from constipation- a few easy things to try is moderate exercise, a good daily walk will help keep things moving. Lots of fluids will help as well and lots of fiber from fresh fruits and veggies can be helpful as well. Bran cereal is also a good help but if its really a chronic problem you can take fiber supplements. If all else fails talk to your doctor about it.
Im 23 weeks 3 days pregnant now and wieghed 170.2lbs this morning. I have gained 14.2 pounds. Recently Ive had some very back persistant lower back pain. Its been concerning me because it felt to me like early labour. Im far far to early to be in labour safely. So Ive been trying to keep off my feet as much as possible which is such an internal struggle because I love to run and walk and have plans to walk/run a half marathon in 10 weeks. I dont think its going to happen unfortunatly. Ive also been having a great deal of pressure in my perinium area (thats the area between the vagina and anus if we are getting super personal here) The more I walk the worse my discomfort gets so Ive been trying to stay off my feet and lastnight I decided to put myself on modified bedrest and laid about the entire evening. I made chili which was super easy, I just threw the stuff in the pot and left it on low for a couple hours. It turned out really great and I didnt have to stand about cooking. Instead I laid in the living room and kept off my feet. My back ache and pressure did not go away but I was feeling the baby move so I decided to take a warm bath. Now some practitioners say no baths during pregnancy but its the heat of the water that is the big concern. As long as it isnt hot a bath is just fine and it can really help with back pain. Being bouyant in water feels SO good, getting all of that weight and pressure off your spine and pelvis is just such a relief. I wish I had access to a pool! After my bath I resumed staying off my feet until it was time to get my sons ready for bed and I ended up feeling much better today. Im sore again this evening but we had a very busy day and I did a lot of lifting which I shouldnt have. Im schedualled to run/walk 8 miles today. I am going to get on the treadmill but if I begin to feel pressure or back pain Ill be sure to throw in the towel and have a deep warm bath instead!
My baby is 8-12 inches long now and should weigh about a pound! I however have gained 14 pounds. My baby very much looks like she will at birth minus that sweet chubbiness of newborns. She will fill out with fat in the coming months. Right now she is getting stronger and kicking up a storm. I feel her many times a day. Its a wonderful feeling knowing that if she is moving most likely she is doing well in there, growing and thriving! Four weeks until she is officially ‘viable’ and has a chance of surviving outside the womb. Of course its ideal to get to at least 37 weeks! But I remember feeling the relief with my other pregnancies as I ticked off 27 weeks on the calender. Its a huge milestone for a pregnancy!
Recently Ive been experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions, which is normal for this stage of the pregnancy. These contractions are just getting my body ready for the birth. They arent supposed to hurt but Ive had some really strong ones as of late. I remember my braxton hicks with my other pregnancies and they didnt seem this strong, but I suppose its been a few years and I may not be remembering accuratly.
Im 21 and a half weeks pregnant now and I am now up to 167 pounds. I started my pregnancy at 156lbs. Im now up 11 pounds and Im definitely feeling it. Unfortunately I think the last couple of pounds have been more fat than baby, at least it feels that way. I am growing out of my favorite ‘pregnant’ jean shorts (its still summer here). I lost a lot of weight before this pregnancy and so Ive been wearing my old shorts from when I was much heavier, but they are finally getting too tight so I went maternity jeans shopping. The full belly panel is what I wore through both my other pregnancies and loved, I really hated the low slung little mini panel that goes all the way around the entire waist. I tried those on and I still hate them, but my belly isn’t big enough for the full belly panel so I left all the stores empty handed. Im not sure what Im going to be wearing soon! I also tried on a pair of Capri’s which I thought would be oh so cute with having a pregnant belly and they were oh so not. Im getting a bit desperate with shorts! I have lots of maternity jeans, with several different style of belly panels so I guess Ive just got to pray for cooler weather before my tummy gets too much bigger!