I know it is unlikely, but if anyone is planning on being in the New York area for Thanksgiving weekend, please let me know! I would love for you to help us celebrate at our east coast baby shower (November 29)! The more family and friends around, the better! Especially around the holidays. I sure do miss my family!
- Shana
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Friday, November 14, 2008
Bad Mommy
So we had our regular doctor's check up yesterday. I was mildly chastised for gaining too much weight. As if I didn't already feel huge! I have gained 43 lbs. I have 6 weeks to go. It was highly depressing. I was told to cut back on carbs. If I stayed home all day and could devote all my time to preparing healthy meals and shopping for fresh produce (I was so spoiled in California, NY produce is terrible), then it wouldn't be too difficult.
I keep getting told what I can't eat...then chastised for my weight. But I can't eat all the things I used to...and some things I used to eat gross me out right now (salad is a big one). I try and do everything right- exercise, floss, avoid a multitude of foods... At the same time I am working full time, running usual errands, going to the doctor twice a month, scheduling appointments with pediatricians, taking an online course, attending birthing classes, trying to plan for holidays, preregistering at the hospital, contacting the insurance, the short-term disability people, layoffs are taking place at my work and we are shortstaffed... then of course, I am trying to prepare the nursery, make time for my husband and I... and I am exhausted quite frankly. In my 8th month I would like to get more sleep. I come home around 7:30 pm or 8 pm...and my doctor suggests I make my food from scratch. So I cook after a full day's work and a 45 minute to 1 hour commute, then clean up...and go to bed by when? Sheesh!
If I am in the NY area during a future pregnancy, I think I will seek out a doctor or midwife that is also a mom. Perhaps she will be more understanding and realistic. The medical books say one thing, but the reality is never that simple.
Isn't it amazing how many of my generation survived pregnancy and childhood? Our moms were wild and recklessly drinking down sodas and having cold cuts! Not to mention consuming alcohol and smoking. Then we come into a world where playgrounds are laid with asphalt and we slide down burning hot metal slides on a sunny days. And car seats? Forget about 'em. And I need to lay off the bread? The sandwich (without cold cuts mind you) is the quickest homemade thing I can make. Now what do I do? Our daughter will enter this world with a mom made paranoid about food restrictions and guilt-ridden about not following all the endless doctor guidelines during pregnancy. She'll arrive in a sterile hospital and find herself carted away in a car seat, bundled up in a swaddle cloth, and living in a santizer-crazy world. She'll grow up with plastic slides and that soft-foam pseudo-asphalt they use on playgrounds now. The kid will be soft. That's not childhood.
All right, I know I am being silly...but sometimes I feel all the doctor advice gets to be a little silly. It's all too much. Isn't stressing out the mom bad too? What about sleep deprivation? Sleep is still important right? There needs to be a balance with a dose of realistic expectations. Or else every expectant mother should have a housekeeper and chef assigned for the duration of pregnancy, paid in full by insurance.
Okay. Enough. I need to go lay my large butt on the couch. My ankle is swollen, I have a headache, and I would love a good long nap!
- Shana
I keep getting told what I can't eat...then chastised for my weight. But I can't eat all the things I used to...and some things I used to eat gross me out right now (salad is a big one). I try and do everything right- exercise, floss, avoid a multitude of foods... At the same time I am working full time, running usual errands, going to the doctor twice a month, scheduling appointments with pediatricians, taking an online course, attending birthing classes, trying to plan for holidays, preregistering at the hospital, contacting the insurance, the short-term disability people, layoffs are taking place at my work and we are shortstaffed... then of course, I am trying to prepare the nursery, make time for my husband and I... and I am exhausted quite frankly. In my 8th month I would like to get more sleep. I come home around 7:30 pm or 8 pm...and my doctor suggests I make my food from scratch. So I cook after a full day's work and a 45 minute to 1 hour commute, then clean up...and go to bed by when? Sheesh!
If I am in the NY area during a future pregnancy, I think I will seek out a doctor or midwife that is also a mom. Perhaps she will be more understanding and realistic. The medical books say one thing, but the reality is never that simple.
Isn't it amazing how many of my generation survived pregnancy and childhood? Our moms were wild and recklessly drinking down sodas and having cold cuts! Not to mention consuming alcohol and smoking. Then we come into a world where playgrounds are laid with asphalt and we slide down burning hot metal slides on a sunny days. And car seats? Forget about 'em. And I need to lay off the bread? The sandwich (without cold cuts mind you) is the quickest homemade thing I can make. Now what do I do? Our daughter will enter this world with a mom made paranoid about food restrictions and guilt-ridden about not following all the endless doctor guidelines during pregnancy. She'll arrive in a sterile hospital and find herself carted away in a car seat, bundled up in a swaddle cloth, and living in a santizer-crazy world. She'll grow up with plastic slides and that soft-foam pseudo-asphalt they use on playgrounds now. The kid will be soft. That's not childhood.
All right, I know I am being silly...but sometimes I feel all the doctor advice gets to be a little silly. It's all too much. Isn't stressing out the mom bad too? What about sleep deprivation? Sleep is still important right? There needs to be a balance with a dose of realistic expectations. Or else every expectant mother should have a housekeeper and chef assigned for the duration of pregnancy, paid in full by insurance.
Okay. Enough. I need to go lay my large butt on the couch. My ankle is swollen, I have a headache, and I would love a good long nap!
- Shana
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Here kitty kitty kitty...
I have become a cat magnet. When I am sleeping, our two cats make a beeline for the bed. Kitty Girl likes to lay on my belly as I lay on my side. Anna tries to climb up, but Kitty won't have it. So Anna stays as close as possible nonetheless. This morning, I had the kitties fighting for my arm and licking me constantly. I wonder if they have already bonded with our daughter in my belly somehow. I wonder how they will respond to her when she arrives. Anna will likely be very afraid. She'll get over it though. Kitty will take it one of two ways. She will either be mothering and lovey or she will be jealous. We shall see.
-Shana
-Shana
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Election Day
So my daughter and I voted in NYC for the first time. Voting here is a bit ridiculous. I never received notice of my polling place. I had to look it up online. They also don't send voters any information on what they will be voting on. Voters vote on this gigantic machine with a lever...I felt transported to the Twilight Zone. I seriously think NYC votes shouldn't count. The majority of voters are not informed at all...myself included. I will know better next time.
NYC also doesn't give out "I Voted" stickers. I didn't realize how important that would be to me. Not only does it make the voter feel a sense of accomplishment...but the stickers are a great visual reminder throughout the day for others to get their butts to the polls. I want my sticker.
I told Pat that I wasn't excited about the outcome of this election because I knew Obama would win. I have been sure of that since the primaries. Intuitive sense. I told Pat if Obama didn't win, then we were having a boy...because I had the same strong intuitive feeling about us having a daughter. Now we can rest easy knowing we don't have to come with a boy name.
November 4th was also our first birthing class at the hospital. It was okay. The nurse just talked a lot. I suppose I might have had a more positive experience had I had a chance to eat beforehand. I was so hungry that it was hard for me to concentrate!
So far most of the information has been pretty basic...though the nurse was really great at responding to questions and explaining her answers thoroughly. She had a quirky sense of humor which was fun. We also watched part of a video showing a birth...a very chill birth. It was unbelievably mellow actually. We were assured that we would see more birth videos and the others would be more typical of what we may experience.
All the other moms and dads there were first timers as well. Most due at the end of December or in January, though one mom was 35 weeks along already. I am not sure if she will make our last class!
Another positive...there was a bathroom inside the classroom. For a room of pregnant ladies, that was really a great thing. Yours truly was sitting right next to it. Easy access.
I think the birthing class will help Pat and I think through and talk about the birthing process. We can make sure we have a common understanding of what kind of birthing experience we want, who we would like present, how we plan to inform family and friends, etc.
That reminds me, the nurse confirmed my realization that NY women have c-sections far more frequently. I told Pat that c-sections seemed to be a "NY thing"...I've heard of so many women that schedule them, some for no other reason than to make it convenient. I come from CA, land of birthing centers and natural births, midwives and "Just Say No to Drugs". The nurse said 1 in 3 or 4 women in NY have c-sections. She was clearly of the opinion that a c-section should be the last resort (an opinion I appreciated).
– Shana
NYC also doesn't give out "I Voted" stickers. I didn't realize how important that would be to me. Not only does it make the voter feel a sense of accomplishment...but the stickers are a great visual reminder throughout the day for others to get their butts to the polls. I want my sticker.
I told Pat that I wasn't excited about the outcome of this election because I knew Obama would win. I have been sure of that since the primaries. Intuitive sense. I told Pat if Obama didn't win, then we were having a boy...because I had the same strong intuitive feeling about us having a daughter. Now we can rest easy knowing we don't have to come with a boy name.
November 4th was also our first birthing class at the hospital. It was okay. The nurse just talked a lot. I suppose I might have had a more positive experience had I had a chance to eat beforehand. I was so hungry that it was hard for me to concentrate!
So far most of the information has been pretty basic...though the nurse was really great at responding to questions and explaining her answers thoroughly. She had a quirky sense of humor which was fun. We also watched part of a video showing a birth...a very chill birth. It was unbelievably mellow actually. We were assured that we would see more birth videos and the others would be more typical of what we may experience.
All the other moms and dads there were first timers as well. Most due at the end of December or in January, though one mom was 35 weeks along already. I am not sure if she will make our last class!
Another positive...there was a bathroom inside the classroom. For a room of pregnant ladies, that was really a great thing. Yours truly was sitting right next to it. Easy access.
I think the birthing class will help Pat and I think through and talk about the birthing process. We can make sure we have a common understanding of what kind of birthing experience we want, who we would like present, how we plan to inform family and friends, etc.
That reminds me, the nurse confirmed my realization that NY women have c-sections far more frequently. I told Pat that c-sections seemed to be a "NY thing"...I've heard of so many women that schedule them, some for no other reason than to make it convenient. I come from CA, land of birthing centers and natural births, midwives and "Just Say No to Drugs". The nurse said 1 in 3 or 4 women in NY have c-sections. She was clearly of the opinion that a c-section should be the last resort (an opinion I appreciated).
– Shana
Sunday, November 2, 2008
32 Weeks
Wow...the holidays are approaching and so is the birth of our daughter! I am 32 weeks pregnant and I must say I am having some serious trouble sleeping. I have left shoulder pain for some reason as well. That's what kept me up last night. Last night I gave up and slept propped up with pillows on the couch. I managed a couple hours of sleep. Hopefully I can catch up with naps today.
On the home front, things are getting done. I still have some minor sorting and cleaning to do, but we are turning our attention to the nursery. It has now been painted! Woohoo! It's a pretty green color...like a deep sage, I guess, even though the paint color's actual name was some fancy word combination with a nature reference...something "Fern" I think. Now we need some furniture.
My mother-in-law is throwing us a baby shower November 29th at 2pm. If anyone is spending the Thanksgiving holiday in New York, let me know! I would love to have you there!
Now, that I have been awake for a half hour, I may try to nap again. I am really exhausted. My shoulder is killing me. Wish me luck lowering myself back on the couch! Actually, I think I need more luck with getting myself up off the couch! That's probably what has me so exhausted now!
- Shana
On the home front, things are getting done. I still have some minor sorting and cleaning to do, but we are turning our attention to the nursery. It has now been painted! Woohoo! It's a pretty green color...like a deep sage, I guess, even though the paint color's actual name was some fancy word combination with a nature reference...something "Fern" I think. Now we need some furniture.
My mother-in-law is throwing us a baby shower November 29th at 2pm. If anyone is spending the Thanksgiving holiday in New York, let me know! I would love to have you there!
Now, that I have been awake for a half hour, I may try to nap again. I am really exhausted. My shoulder is killing me. Wish me luck lowering myself back on the couch! Actually, I think I need more luck with getting myself up off the couch! That's probably what has me so exhausted now!
- Shana
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