Despite the fact that Mauri had already given me a very early birthday present of an ipod touch, so that I could start filling it up with things to entertain me when we eventually go to the hospital, this weekend he also bought me something else that he knew that I really wanted: a small, portable pool. So, for less than 100 euros, we were able to find a pool that helps me to feel refreshed, relaxed, and helps get some of the weight off from my back. I've actually been using it for a little while several times each day, and it makes me feel great!
We've also been working on fixing up the shed that we built for all of the garden machinery and tools, so that we can fix up the basement as a guest room. Since the baby is inheriting the only free room of the house, it seemed like a bit of a necessity. Unfortunately, I'm getting to the point that I can't help out as much as I normally would. I was able to help with the tiling of the floor of most of the basement during the early part of pregnancy, but now being on the floor just isn't what it used to be. I have been able to help paint the areas that I can reach without getting up on a ladder or anything else. So, I still was able to paint a lot of the outside and interior of the new shed. I'm the person with the most free time in the house, so it's frustrating not being able to do more to move things along more quickly, but I am starting to come to the understanding that doing what I can is good enough.Anyways, going back to my birthday, my day started off with the class, and we did many of the same things that we had done at the last class. Because most of the girls are further along, and about to give birth, the class began with a discussion of some of the things you need to do to take care of the baby as soon as he is born. The midwife also went around the room asking about each girl's preference for giving birth, specifically their choices about getting an epidural or not.
I was surprised at the girls' reaction to the question. The first girl responded that her baby was breech, so they basically had already told her (weeks ahead) that she would have a c-section. The midwife said, well, I guess you know what to expect. (!!?!?!?! What!?!?!? from what I've read, many babies still turn at the last minute. Plus, there are many procedures that can turn the baby- so, why do they automatically push for a c-section here!?!?!?) All I could think was I'm glad I'm not her. (Yet looking around the room, it looked like so many girls were jealous, and were wishing for the "easy way out.") I'd prefer to avoid major surgery, if possible, and let my body do its own thing.
Continuing around the room, most of the girls answered that they hadn't thought about it yet. One girl said she'd do what they told her to (to which the midwife responded, they won't) :). I couldn't believe it!! Then, of course, the rest said they wanted it as soon as possible, as long as it was possible. I guess, after seeing too may movies where an epidural is a "necessity," that response didn't surprise me as much. Only two of us responded that we would prefer to wait and see how things were moving along before making a decision to try the epidural, if we felt it was necessary. I, honestly, prefer the idea of not being medicated throughout, as long as I can handle it. Once you get an epidural, you basically have lost the freedom to move around the room, and move yourself into different positions to make labor more comfortable. You've also resigned yourself to being stuck on an IV, and, most likely, to having a catheter, something I'd love to avoid!! It also makes labor last, on the average, around 40 minutes longer.
I guess what I don't understand is that in the computer era, when you can find out so much information about anything you want to know about, that nobody had researched anything about birth, and that nobody had any idea about what they wanted. They seem uneasy about the whole "unknown" of giving birth, but were just going to get there and hope to be told what to do, or they were going to go screaming for an epidural ASAP without knowing anything about it really. hmmm
I realize that having a birth plan doesn't mean that things will necessarily go like you want it to. I'm also not saying that I wouldn't get an epidural, because I won't know how I really feel until I'm in the moment. But at least I've read a lot about my options, and have made decisions based on what I've read. I'll try to be flexible, but I still have an idea of what I want.
I asked about what we needed to bring to the hospital. I was a little worried, after one of my presents was a hat and mittens(?) (socks?) that everyone supposedly needs at or for leaving the hospital. (?)
It turns out, though, that you really only need panties and some slippers for you for the hospital, and an outfit or two, for the day you leave the hospital, for the baby. Knowing that made me feel a bit more prepared.
The discussion about panties, made the conversation shift, and one girl was asking something about "disposable panties" for the time after birth when you might be bleeding and leaking. (pleasant) So, the midwife left the room to bring us some samples. We received a little paper bag with 2 pads (not useful for us now), and one disposable panty with a pad in it. While she was at it, though, she also gave us a free sample bottle of baby oil, which she said was great for hidrating the baby in the first few days.
With that, we moved on to the exercises, and did most of the same exercises that we did last week, but we also addded a bit of what looked like belly dancing to help loosen the ligaments of the pelvis. So, the class was done, and I needed to find something else to do on my birthday.
With my free time, I decided that walking around the mall would be a good way to get some exercise in without getting overheated outside. So, after my class, I headed to the mall to spend some time doing just that. I was able to take advantage of sale time to buy some cute baby clothes. I also was able to buy some snap-up and tie-up shirts and onesies for the first few weeks of the baby's life. I had read that those types of clothes are perfect for the first few weeks when the baby's head needs more support, making pulling things over his head more difficult. In those first few weeks you also need to take care of the umbilical cord/belly button area more easily. I was very happy to find some that were on sale and very inexpensive, and they had the plus that they were made from organic cotton!! So, I was very happy with that buy. I also bought the baby some more socks, and a few cute outifts that I bought just because I liked them and they were on sale. Most of the things that I bought were for next summer in the 12-18 month size. I hope I calculated right!! :)
I've decided that while shopping, I'm imposing a lot of my own clothes biases on the baby. I don't particularly like long-sleeves or one-piece things (unless they are comfy dresses), or things that go up high around my neck, because they make me feel claustrophobic. So, I've been buying the baby things based on my own preferences for feeling comfortable. I guess, though, that a baby is used to feeling more restricted, and he probably won't be so upset with the things that make me feel uncomfortable. Despite, that, though, I have been buying a lot of short sleeves, and little zip-up jackets and cardigans to be able to layer on the long sleeves. I do think, though, that those types of clothes will be much more practical in the long run anyways. I'm not a huge fan of one-piece baby suits, and think that the ones that don't have snaps at the legs, to make changing diapers more comfortable, should be outlawed!!!
Despite having lived here for so long, it never ceases to amaze me how bad customer service can be in the stores here. So I was thrown off guard on my shopping trip, when I headed to the sales rack of the kids section of Zara, one of the biggest and most successful Spanish stores. I had found what I thought was a perfect pair of shorts for a little boy, because they looked exactly like denim, but were actually a much softer, stretchier, thick, but almost jersey-like material. They were on sale for 5.99, in theory, so I went to buy them along with a few other things, mostly little short-sleeved shirts. When I went to pay, I realized that they had charged me 7.99 for the shorts that were marked 5.99. So, I pointed it out to the clerk. She had me wait while she called the supervisor, and when the supervisor arrived, she took the shorts out of my hands, and told me she could return "it" to the card. Of course, I assumed they would be returning my 2 euros, but, being here, no, of course not. They told me it was their error, but that they could not sell it to me for that price, and quickly sent a girl to pick up all of the other shorts to remark them with the higher price. I told them that they should just give me the 2 euros back, but, of course, they wouldn't. I probably would have still bought the shorts right then, despite thinking it unfair that they changed the price, but they never gave me the chance. I was caught so off guard. Of course, days later, I looked it up online, and have found that even here, stores must abide by the price on the tag they placed. How are you supposed to make sure they follow through, though??? So, I wrote a compaint to the Zara website, and basically just got a quick apology, and was told that they would talk to the people of the store, and that they hoped that I would remain a customer. I guess I'm not really impressed. Too little, too late!
As you can probably guess from the picture, I did end up going back a different day to buy the shorts, despite them costing me 7.99. I partly was upset that they had taken something away from my baby, that I thought was really cute and comfy, all for a stupid 2 euros. I also liked the fact that by removing the 7.99 sticker, I had the proof (a 5.99 sticker underneath) that I needed to continue my complaint with Zara, something I haven't done yet.
Well, after the ordeal, I was really exhausted. I had only been in a few stores, but I felt like I couldn't go much further, so I went home. I've realized that even a slight bit of walking lately results with me having a very sore back and sore feet all evening, so I tried getting into the pool as soon as I got back to try to relax a bit.
This week I also recieved a few more baby gifts. So, I'll show you some pictures, along with pictures of what I bought.
To finish off, I'll leave you with the info from my email for 32 weeks:
How your baby's growing:
By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.
How your life's changing:
To accommodate you and your baby's growing needs, your blood volume has increased 40 to 50 percent since you got pregnant. With your uterus pushing up near your diaphragm and crowding your stomach, the consequences may be shortness of breath and heartburn. To help relieve your discomfort, try sleeping propped up with pillows and eating smaller meals more often.
You may have lower-back pain as your pregnancy advances. If you do, let your caregiver know right away, particularly if you haven't had back pain before, since it can be a sign of preterm labor.
Assuming it's not preterm labor that's ailing you, you can probably blame your growing uterus and hormonal changes for your aching back. Your expanding uterus shifts your center of gravity and stretches out and weakens your abdominal muscles, changing your posture and putting a strain on your back. Hormonal changes in pregnancy loosen your joints and the ligaments that attach your pelvic bones to your spine. This can make you feel less stable and cause pain when you walk, stand, sit for long periods, roll over in bed, get out of a low chair or the tub, bend, or lift things.
(I would say they were right on this week about the effects on me!!) :)
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