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Great Expectations: Meagan @ 2 Months Postpartum

April 20, 2012 By Meagan Church 4 Comments

I just got back from Adelyn’s 2-month-check up. I was looking forward to this appointment because a few weeks ago she started giving me some problems breastfeeding. She has been crying when I try to get her to eat. I tried a variety of things to coax her into feeding. I found that standing and walking with her worked best. This was all new territory for me because my first two were excellent nursers and would take the breast anytime it was offered. Not only was Adelyn not taking it at every offering, but also she was wanting to space out feedings and then would only nurse for about five minutes per feeding. So what did the doctor have to say? Chill out. At least that’s my interpretation of what he said.

 

During our struggles, Adelyn seemed to be getting enough to eat because she was acting fine and had enough wet diapers. But it bothered me that she seemed to nurse infrequently and quickly. Of course I turned to books and online sources. They all tell how often a newborn should feed (every two hours), but they fail to go beyond that. How was I supposed to know the ideal frequency for a two-month-old? After all, my first two fed every two to three hours for months. The books also all warned that if a baby doesn’t feed often enough, your supply could suffer. Great. So now I wasn’t only worrying about her ability to thrive, but also the level of my milk supply. Who said breastfeeding was easy? This being my third child, you’d think I would be a seasoned pro. After all, I nursed the first two exclusively for nine months each and they weaned after the age of one. The problem was the first two were very similar and never gave me any issues. They fed like champs. Well, perhaps they fed too well, as you can see below from Kenna’s plethora of fat rolls.


As for Adelyn, I had no idea how her weight was doing. I was tempted to put her in the produce scale at the grocery store to see what she weighed. Instead, I waited for today’s appointment. Turns out that she is holding steady in the 50th percentile at nearly 12 pounds. She is growing ever longer, measuring 24 inches, which puts her in the 95th. (She apparently didn’t get my height genes.) When the doc saw her numbers and took a look at her, he basically said she’s completely healthy and thriving. I told him about the fussy feedings and all I had done to try to get her to feed. He said I had done exactly as he would’ve recommended. Given her numbers, he thinks I have an abundant supply and she can handle a larger quantity at an earlier age than my first two kids could, plus she is so efficient that she can drain the breast quickly.

 

So what I’ve learned today is that each child is different. Just because you have three kids, it doesn’t mean you are a pro by any means. Breastfeeding can be stressful, but a healthy baby knows what she is doing. Sometimes you just need to take a deep breath. And at other times you need to throw away the books.

Filed Under Featured Story, Feeding, Great Expectations, Parenting, Postpartum Tagged With breastfeeding, newborn

Great Expectations: Meagan @ 7 Weeks Postpartum

March 23, 2012 By Meagan Church Leave a Comment

It has been seven weeks since Adelyn was born. In some ways, it seems like she has been with us much longer. In other ways, it seems like it was just yesterday. So how is it going? I’m going to be honest: it’s been an up and down experience.

Adelyn is doing well overall. She is growing well and sleeping like a champ, which is much appreciated. Breastfeeding has been pretty good, but within the last couple of weeks, she has started fussing during feedings. The worst was just a few days ago when she would act hungry, but cry every time she attempted to latch on. After trying a few things, I finally discovered that nursing her while standing and walking seems to soothe her. So, for the past few days, my back and arms have been getting an extra workout. I’m going to have to figure out how to nurse in the sling to give them a rest. I have never quite gotten the positioning right to do that, but it’s time I learn. I’m thinking her fussy feedings are due to acid reflux. All three kids have had it and have been big-time spitters. The older two grew out of it by the age of one, but they never fussed during feedings like Adelyn has. I’m hoping this is a short and passing phase. My arms and back would appreciate the rest and I’m not exactly sure how I can nurse in public, while dancing around with her.

A lot of people have asked how the transition from two to three kids has gone. At moments, there is no real difference. As I said, she’s a great sleeper, so that helps. But, at other times, all three kids and the dog seem to need something at once, and I’m tasked with trying to prioritize everyone’s needs and urgencies. Jonas and Kenna love their little sister, and Jonas especially has been a great helper. He loves to hold and rock her. While in theory Kenna likes her sister, she would still prefer to have more undivided attention. At times we’re all in sync and things are going smoothly. At other times, well, we could all use a good nap.

I must say that I have been surprised by the sense of busyness that I have felt. I have always preferred to hide out at home for the first few months, but that’s not as possible with two other kids. Even still, I’ve made sure to keep our schedule open and quiet, but it’s the everyday tasks that have kept me busier than I expected. I’m still figuring out how to fit in focused kid time, home-cooked meals, workouts, good sleep, cleaning, showers, etc., along with getting back into my work. Being pulled in more directions than what I’ve been accustomed to, I’ve had to realize that some things will not get accomplished. Thankfully I have a husband who has been cooking more and the kids have been taking on greater responsibility. In the end, the house hasn’t been dusted and the kitchen floor really needs to be mopped, but I’ll spend the afternoon napping instead. And maybe I’ll get that shower in sometime tomorrow.

Filed Under Featured Story, Great Expectations, Newborn, Parenting, Postpartum

Great Expectations: The Birth Story of Meagan & Baby Adelyn

February 8, 2012 By Meagan Church 4 Comments

Congratulations to the Giving Birth with Confidence Great Expectations blogger, Meagan, who gave birth to a beautiful baby girl on January 26. Below is the story of her birth to baby number 3. 

 

This being my third pregnancy, you’d think I was a pro at giving birth. Well, after my 16-hour labor with number one, you’d think that would earn me some sort of pro status. Even still, I know that every birth is different and that scared me. Going in to my third pregnancy, I had certain reservations because my first two had gone so well. Could I be so lucky once again? I felt my time was running out. Not to mention the fact that my open-mindedness from my first pregnancy was becoming a lot more closed off. I did a good amount of research for my first and had a good sense for what I hoped for in the birth. But having done far more reading and fact gathering, my mind was beginning to close off and strongly oppose certain options I had previously been open to. I began to have this feeling that if things didn’t go as planned, I would somehow be disappointed and left to deal with those emotions post-partum. So how did it all turn out? Let’s start at the beginning….

On Wednesday, January 25 (five days before my due date) I woke up with mild contractions around 2:00 a.m. They came off and on without much regularity or intensity. I tried my best to sleep, but knowing that this meant the end was near, task lists and details began running through my head. I got little sleep that night. The contractions did not increase at all as I went about my day. I hesitated telling anyone because I assumed I still had plenty of time. I did tell my husband before he left for work and I also called my mom. With having to make plans for the whereabouts of the two older kids, I needed to at least inform a few people. But I refrained from making any Facebook status updates. After all, I had a history of going post-due. Would this child really come before the due date?

Around 9:00 p.m. they began to come more regularly, but were still not intense. I started to think that perhaps the baby would be arriving soon since both my first labors had followed this same pattern of early morning contractions followed by little action the next day and then active labor that night. But I was still having a difficult time making a decision as to whether or not the grandparents should get in place for the kids. I had a fear that this wasn’t going to progress into active labor and then my parents would’ve had a sleepless night on our couches for no reason. At 11:30 p.m., I was still being indecisive, but called Mom anyway. We finally decided it would be best if they came up since it would take an hour for them to get here and we didn’t want things to progress faster than they could drive.

Around 1:30 a.m., my parents were in place and we headed to bed. I slept for about an hour when sleep no longer became an option. My contractions were growing in intensity and coming more frequently though their spacing was not completely consistent. They would be 7 minutes followed by 10 minutes apart and then down to 5 minutes. Back and forth they’d go. So, I laid there, breathing through them, still in denial that I was heading into active labor. Finally around 4:30 a.m., I woke Matt to say that he should probably get dressed because we might want to consider going to the hospital at some point. Yes, I was still indecisive even though they were getting to be as close as 4 minutes apart. The thing is, the pain was tolerable. I was still breathing through them. I had begun rocking and swaying to ease through them, but in between, I was still talking and joking just fine. My history had been that once into active labor, I stopped talking and shut out the world around me until delivery.

After getting dressed and packing my bag, the contractions had slowed slightly, so instead of heading out the door, we watched an episode of “30 Rock.” I might’ve missed a joke or two here or there, but otherwise I was still focusing on the show. If it weren’t for the fact that my contraction counter app was saying the contractions were back down to 4 minutes apart, I probably would’ve fired up another show. Instead, we decided to head to the hospital.

On the way there, one of my fears began to come true. To this day, I am certain that part of the reason my first labor was so long is because I went to the hospital too soon, which caused me to stall. After reading Ina May Gaskin’s thoughts on the sphincter law, I understand how such a transition can cause labor to actually reverse to a certain degree. I still wonder how things would’ve gone differently with my first delivery had I stayed home longer. So, when my contractions slowed with this one and I had only one on the way there, I was afraid we were regressing. While it was great that I wasn’t squirming and contorting my body the entire way to the hospital, it was upsetting because that meant the last two contractions were 10 minutes apart. I began to wonder if we’d made the wrong call. Should we have watched more Hulu before heading in?

We walked into the hospital at 5:30 a.m. I was still clear minded and able to talk. Again, I doubted whether or not this was for real. In triage, I was able to answer all of the nurse’s questions and even cracked a few jokes. When I arrived during labor #2, I was near transition and was 9.5 cm dilated. There was no joking at that point. When the resident finally checked me, I was very relieved to hear I was 7 cm and would be heading to my birthing room soon. And the tub was already being prepared for me.

The tub was part of my birth plan. I had labored in it with #1 for a long time, but got out before delivering. I wanted to attempt a water birth with #2, but she arrived too quickly to even make it into the tub. The nurse asked if I wanted to just labor or actually birth in the water. I told her definitely labor, but I still wasn’t sure about birthing. She went on to encourage me to try a water birth. She said it was really amazing. I was so impressed that she was actually recommending a water birth. That put me at ease for being in the hospital where hands-on interventions can oftentimes trump natural experiences.

The tub was ready for me once we got into the delivery room. My midwife hadn’t arrived yet, but the nurse helped me into the tub. The water felt great and offered some relief as my contractions gained intensity. Even still, I was talking in between contractions and at times thinking to myself, “Okay, let’s get this show on the road and have this baby already.” Then transition hit.

I had horrendous back labor with my first two pregnancies. So far, the back labor hadn’t hit with this one. But once I entered transition, I began to feel it with full force. I had taken somewhat of a squatting position in the tub, leaning over the backside of it, so Matt could rub my lower back through each contraction. This was his main role in the first two labors and we joked that he nearly rubbed off his fingerprints during both. By this time, my midwife had arrived, but was with another woman who was near delivering. We were told to pull the call button cord if I felt the urge to push. A nurse came in and out of the room, but for the most part, it was the two of us just hanging out, waiting for our baby and it suited us just fine. Having been through this before, we knew how to work our way through it as a team.

By now I had begun vocalizing during contractions. This was all new to me, but it helped give me release. I was embarrassed at first. After all, the door to my room was open and I thought I would scare off any laboring woman who had any inkling of trying for a natural birth. After hearing me, there was probably an increased demand for epidurals. And then the urge came on.

I had reached that point in labor when I was done. I didn’t know if I could deal with it anymore. Should I give in and get a shot of Nubain? I had in the past, but it had never done anything for me. Could I hang on? But what if I still had an hour to go? But then the urge to push hit.  Mid-contraction I yelled, “Pull the cord!” Not thinking Matt heard me the first time (though I was certainly less than quiet about it), I yelled it again. He assured me that he had pulled it and in a moment two nurses and my midwife were by my side. With the jets on in the tub, I couldn’t hear well. I thought the midwife was telling me to push. So I did. I realized later that I hadn’t been checked since I was admitted. How did I (or the midwife) know if I was complete? Well, my body knew well enough because I began pushing, which was such a relief. They asked me if I wanted to get out of the tub. At that point, I was focused on one thing: having this baby. I didn’t want to be moved. I was good where I was. Suddenly I felt the baby descending followed by my water breaking. Being able to push made the contractions so much more bearable. I had something to do, a goal and an end in sight. With some good, strong pushes, the baby was born at 7:42 a.m. on January 26.

The midwife declared, “It’s a girl!” and placed Adelyn Grace on my chest—all 8 lbs. 3 oz. and 21.5 in. of her (not too shabby for being 4 days ahead of schedule). Adelyn let out a few small whimpers and then began to fall asleep. She was so at peace, or as her name means, serene. We stayed in the tub for a while, waiting for the cord to stop pulsing. As I held Adelyn in my arms, the midwife cleaned us up and soon we were moving to the bed. As I stood, I was amazed by how good I felt. In fact, I did not require any pain relief even after birth. Sure my body needed rest and relaxation, but otherwise I felt great. The hospital gave us ample time and space to bond. We stayed in the room for a few hours. I ordered breakfast and Adelyn nursed. And nursed. And nursed.

Looking back, I am still amazed by a few things: how quickly it all went, how smooth it was, how little assistance we really needed, how peaceful she was at birth, what a great nurser she was from the start and how great I felt once labor ended. I soon realized my initial fears and hesitations were for naught. And I also realized how blessed I have been to have had the births I’ve had.

Filed Under Birth, Birth stories, Featured Story, Great Expectations

Great Expectations: Meagan @ 38 Weeks

January 20, 2012 By Cara Terreri 1 Comment

I have now reached 38 weeks. Where did the time go? I remember mid-way through pregnancy it seemed like the end was so far away. That seems like it was just yesterday. People have started taking notice that the end is quite close (for some reason the size of my belly clues them in pretty quickly).  We haven’t gotten the the-baby-hasn’t-come-yet question. Instead it’s the predecessor wow-that’s-all-the-time-you-have-left inquiry. If my belly button is any sort of indicator, yep, there’s not much time left.

Thankfully I’m still feeling great. Plus, I passed my group B strep test. Phew! I have managed to avoid most of the typical pregnancy complaints or discomforts. Instead I just have some annoyances. For instance, I am getting tired of constantly hiking up my pants and pulling down my shirt. Some days I feel like my main form of exercise is endlessly adjusting my wardrobe. I also look forward to putting on socks without holding my breath and hoping I can balance long enough to get the sock over my toes. Glorious will be the day when I drop something and I don’t have to weigh the pros and cons of picking it up as opposed to leaving it there until one of the kids can get it for me. But, if that is the worst I have to deal with, I’ve had it pretty good.

We have been going over the checklist for baby preparations. Clothes laundered? Check. Diapers prepped? For the most part. Gear gathered? Pretty much. Boy name chosen? Indeed. Girl name? Well, hopefully we’ll get to that one at some point…if it’s necessary at all.

Filed Under Featured Story, Great Expectations

Great Expectations: Meagan @ 36 Weeks

January 6, 2012 By Meagan Church 3 Comments

The holidays have passed us and now it’s full-speed ahead to the baby’s arrival. I had my 36-week check-up today. My midwife said next week I will technically be full-term, so theoretically, the baby could arrive at any point after that. It’s crazy enough to think of the baby being here in four or five weeks, let alone one or two. I suppose that means we should start getting out the diapers, clothes and other baby paraphernalia.

I must say it was a little strange being pregnant during the holidays. My first two were born in October, so I had newborns during Christmas. Now, I got to hear all the comments of how massive my belly is. Are you sure there isn’t more than one in there? Are you really going to be able to hold out another month? Then there is always the question that comes with a head tilt. So, [tilt head] how are you feeling? Most people also give a little wince, expecting to hear horror stories about hemorrhoids, indigestion, varicose veins and other such maladies. But, I’m still holding strong and feeling good, other than the heaviness that comes from hauling around a record-breaking watermelon all day.

At my check-up today, I had my group B strep test. Now I get to wait a week to see what the results are. I’m hoping it is negative because I really don’t want to have to labor with an IV. I made it through the first two deliveries with no wires connecting me to anything and I’m hoping for the same this time around. I’m just concerned that by being connected, I will be distracted and not able to labor with full focus. Not to mention that if this delivery goes as quickly as my last one, I wouldn’t even be in the hospital long enough to get the full dose of antibiotics. So, here’s hoping for another negative test result!

Filed Under Featured Story, Great Expectations

Great Expectations: Meagan @ 34 Weeks

December 23, 2011 By Meagan Church Leave a Comment

What’s it like being at the end of pregnancy during Christmas? It’s like living in super-warp speed. The end of pregnancy can go quickly enough, as does the holiday season. Combine the two and a month feels like the blink of an eye. While I am looking forward to meeting our little one, I’m still perfectly okay with slowing down this last month-and-a-half and taking some time to breathe before we are caught up in the whirlwind of the newborn stage. I’ve never been one who has been overly impatient for the end of pregnancy, and this time around is no exception. Perhaps some of that has to do with having good, complaint-free pregnancies. But a greater part is because I remember the sleepless nights, endless nursing sessions and labor pains. So, I’ll do my best to relax and enjoy my sleep for as long as possible…aside from the nighttime bathroom trips.

At my most recent appointment, I received an early Christmas gift. It was the news that the baby is in fact head down. This little acrobat has flipped around so many times that a week ago it felt as if the baby was sideways at one point and diagonal at another. I have stepped up the exercises to encourage baby head down and thankfully as of today, the kiddo has cooperated. My midwife assured me that most likely if the baby is head down now, it will stay that way because it would take a lot of effort to flip breech at this point. Let’s hope that’s true!

While that was a great gift, I would like one more thing for Christmas: a baby name my husband and I can agree upon. We have come up with a boy name with little difficulty, but that girl name is still giving us problems. Hopefully we’ll have some divine inspiration this Christmas and our search will finally be over.

 

Filed Under Featured Story, Great Expectations

Great Expectations: Meagan @ 32 Weeks

December 9, 2011 By Meagan Church Leave a Comment

A few days ago, I was in Motherhood Maternity chatting with a very helpful sales woman. When she found out I was due in two months, she asked if I’d started getting things ready for the hospital. I laughed. Getting things ready? I still have two whole months. I’ll get around to that at some point. Then it hit me. I only have two months. Should I be getting things ready? I suppose we should set up the co-sleeper to make sure we have everything we need. The cloth diapers need to be laundered and set out. Clothes would also be a good idea. Since we have most of the items packed away somewhere in the house and don’t have to purchase them or wait for gifts, we don’t seem as eager to get things set up. We’ll get there at some point…maybe before the baby or maybe the day we come home from the hospital.

It turns out that apparently some pregnancy dreams do come true. A few weeks ago, I had a dream that the baby flipped into a head down position, which was great since I’ve felt it stretched in all sorts of directions. At my appointment today, the nurse practitioner verified that the baby is in fact head down now. Let’s just hope it stays that way! The activity level has continued to be high and powerful at times. This has me a bit concerned about what this child’s energy level will be like. I had hoped that with two energetic kids already that this one might be more laid back. If movements and jabs are any indication, I shouldn’t hold my breath for that to happen.

As my belly protrudes more and more, people have been asking with greater frequency how I am feeling. The thing is, I sometimes feel bad about giving them an honest answer, especially if the person asking is a pregnant woman who hasn’t had it easy. Honestly, I’m still feeling great. Sure I am tired, but that’s pretty typical for me. I am starting to feel the heaviness of the added weight, I’m more breathless and I get tired of constantly hiking up my pants when my belly insists on pushing them down. But, really? If those are my worst complaints, I’ve had it pretty easy so far. I told my midwife that I feel bad telling people how good I feel. She said I should tell everyone since typically all you hear are the horror stories. So, I’m here to say that it’s not all morning sickness and hemorrhoids. From my experiences thus far, it is possible to be very pregnant and still feel good.

Filed Under Featured Story, Great Expectations

Great Expectations: Meagan @ 30 Weeks

November 25, 2011 By Meagan Church Leave a Comment

I’m not sure how prophetic pregnancy dreams can be (I’m sincerely hoping the one I described in my 28 week post won’t come true), but I had another interesting dream that made me wonder what was going on while I was sleeping. This child has been quite the in utero acrobat. I feel kicks, flips and flops throughout the day. My stomach sometimes ripples and morphs as the kiddo moves around. I know at 30 weeks, there is still time for the baby to move into an ideal birthing position, but with all the movement, I have been a bit concerned about whether this baby will get head down and stay that way. For a while, it seemed that the baby was relaxing in a hammock sideways across my stomach. That’s not exactly ideal as we get closer to delivery. So, I broke out the exercise ball and did my best to avoid reclining back too much. A week or so ago, I had a dream that the baby was in a bad position, so I said it was time to fix it. I did some sort of little maneuver and felt my stomach jolt. Next thing I knew, the baby was head down and ready to go. From the feeling within my dream, it made me wonder what was really happening as I slept. But, I have to say that once I woke, the baby seemed better positioned, and at today’s appointment, my midwife said the baby felt head down. Now, if only the kiddo will stay that way for the next 10+ weeks.

I had more good news at my midwife visit today. Since my last appointment, I only gained one pound. Sure, that last appointment was just two weeks ago, but with the holidays approaching, I’m already concerned with how high the scales will go. I gained 40 pounds with my first two pregnancies and hoped to stay under that, but I’m becoming doubtful that will happen. The good news is the weight seems to be going to my belly most of all, so I suppose it’s all good weight gain.

With my due date approaching, we decided to add more chaos to our lives. We adopted a 6-month-old golden retriever named Bailey. Our nearly 14-year-old golden retriever passed away a few months ago. We debated waiting until after the baby arrived before adding another member to our family. But, in typical fashion, I couldn’t wait to have another animal. Plus, we figured if we got the dog now, we could have her somewhat trained before the baby arrives. Of course plenty of people think we’re crazy to get a dog when I’m 6.5 months pregnant and have two little kids already, but we found a sweet, gentle, adorable pup who fits our family well. Plus, she is preparing us for life with a newborn. She kept us up barking most of the night on her second night with us. The good news is she seems to have learned quite quickly how to sleep through the night. Let’s hope the baby learns just as well.

Filed Under Featured Story, Great Expectations Tagged With Great Expectations

Great Expectations: Meagan @ 28 Weeks

November 11, 2011 By Meagan Church Leave a Comment

I have officially entered the third trimester. When I first found out I was pregnant, nine months seemed like such a long time. Now three months seems as though it’s only a few short weeks. The reality that the baby will soon be here is really setting in. I’ve started having dreams about the baby’s arrival. The other night I dreamt that I gave birth very quickly to a healthy boy. Discovering it was a boy, I gloated that I knew it was going to be a boy, despite what the ultrasound said. I felt good after the birth, so I left the hospital to attend a baby shower. While there, I realized I hadn’t nursed him yet, so I figured I should probably get back to the hospital. When I returned, I couldn’t figure out how to get in or where to find him. Once I did, the nurses had given him a bottle and I was furious. Didn’t they know I wanted to nurse him exclusively? Didn’t they know I needed to nurse him to get my supply going? Didn’t they know a bottle went against my birth plan?! When I awoke, I was still a bit furious, but also very confused. It didn’t take me long to realize it was just a dream. My still-there stomach was a good indication of that.

I had my 28-week check-up and glucose screening this week. The results for the blood draw won’t be in for a few days. I have no reason to believe I have gestational diabetes, but I will feel a sigh of relief when I hear the results are truly negative. I’m measuring fine (despite feeling massive for having three months still to go). Currently the baby is camped out diagonally across my stomach. I had noticed that my belly button was off-center. This child seems to be kicking back, relaxing and treating my uterus as if it’s a hammock, which also explains why I have been feeling movements in various directions. Hopefully over the next few weeks, the baby will move into a more ideal position.

My 5-year-old son asked me, “Mom, what are you going to do with three kids? I mean that’s a lot.” I told him I didn’t know. And, I honestly don’t. Just as I didn’t know what I’d do with one kid and then with two. I have moments of asking myself how it is all going to work out, but I try not to get too hung up on the details. Somehow we seem to adapt and figure it all out. And until then, I suppose I have more crazy dreams to look forward to.

 

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Great Expectations: Meagan @ 26 Weeks

October 28, 2011 By Meagan Church 2 Comments

I have reached that exciting point in pregnancy where the quick, little flutters of movement have now evolved into real kicks. Instead of just feeling a general twitch or hiccup, I can now feel limbs and appendages moving around. I have felt the change internally for a week or so, but at times, I can now feel the baby on the outside as well. Just this morning, the baby was moving and pushing on one side of me. So I pushed back. I could feel the limb as it pushed and retracted. During my first pregnancy, my son was typically active in the afternoon and I’d take a break from writing to play with him. I’d push where he’d push and then feel him squirm to the other side. We’d banter back and forth this way for a while. I always wondered what that must’ve felt like to him. And now I’m getting to that point once again. Sure, all of this movement does mean there is sometimes an elbow in my bladder or foot in my abdomen, but it’s still the best part of pregnancy and one that I will miss once the baby is born.

While that has been exciting, a new pregnancy symptom has begun that I was hoping to avoid this time around: leg cramps. I had them with my first two pregnancies, but since I hadn’t had one yet this time around, I was hoping to avoid them. Unfortunately I have been woken from my sleep three times in the past week with horrible calf cramps. Thankfully they go away in about a minute, once I remember to breathe through them and stretch as my birthing instructor advised years ago. She likened them to preparations for birth where you have to remember to not focus on the pain and not to give in to it. Wise words.

My husband and I are still playing the name game. We’ve been contemplating a name for a while now and have yet to settle on one. We do have what others would consider to be a lot of criteria, but we figure if our baby is going to be stuck with this name for the rest of her life, we had better put some thought into it and make it as close to perfect as possible. We still have 14 weeks or so before the name is a necessity. Though last week I did have a friend give birth two months premature. Thankfully baby and mom are both doing well, but it goes to show you never really know when the baby will decide to arrive.

 

Meagan is the blogger at  www.DefiningMotherhood.com where she explores her role as a mother of two-and-a-half little ones, as well as Unexpectant, where she explores the realities of birth, babies and beyond. Learn more by following @unexpectant on Twitter or visiting www.MeaganChurch.com.

Filed Under Featured Story, Great Expectations
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