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| 24 Weeks! |
To celebrate the beginning of Week 24, I had my monthly doctor appointment. I met another doctor in the practice, Dr. Kremser, and he reminded me a bit of Zach: couldn't sit still, very excited about everything to do with this profession, and starkly honest. So honest in fact, the beginning of our very first conversation went like this:
Dr. K.: "Have you been indulging in the after-holiday treats?"
Me, mortified: "WHY? Do I look enormous?!"
Dr. K.: "You look just lovely...but you've gained eight pounds in 4 weeks."
Me: "......................"
Dr. K.: "In looking at your charts, this is the most rapid weight gain of either of your pregnancies, so you're going to want to limit your carb and sugar intake."
Me, silently canceling the Java Chip Latte I had hoped to grab at Starbucks after the appointment: "Okay..."
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| In his tunnel! |
I've talked to many of my gal pals about this and no one seems too surprised by my big gain. In fact, many of them regaled me with personal stories of their pregnancies where they surpassed the 8 pounds in one month and still had babies weighing less than Brady's 8 pound 3 ounce entrance into the world. The point of the good doctor's comment was to remind me that the smaller the baby, the better chances at a successful VBAC, and while I definitely agree with him, I'm trying not to take to heart the fact that I'm large and in charge could be working against me. However, I did forgo the trip to Starbucks.
Other than that, my blood pressure--which I thought for sure would be through the roof after the crazy week I've had--remained steady at 120/60. The baby's heart rate also remained consistent at 150 bpm. When Dr. Kremser asked if we were giving Brady a sister or brother and I told him we weren't finding out, his face lit up like a child's on Christmas morning. He said he hopes he's the one to deliver the surprise baby: "How fun! The Jankowskis are old school!"
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| Took his ball pit balls in the tunnel |
Along the lines of an old school frame of mind is my latest and greatest idea to provide optimal child birth and VBAC support: a doula. I'll pause while you either laugh at or Google doula...
I've been looking into a way that I could have nontraditional yet medically supported, mother-centered support during labor. I had been researching and talking with other ladies who have used doulas in the past, and while I originally thought a doula was reserved for home or all-natural births, such is not the case. Long story short, I've been in contact with the Pittsburgh-based doulas and Zach and I are going to meet with them in the near future. If we feel comfortable and find a gal who has the right personality fit for us, I think we're going to take the doula leap.
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| Very busy color-coding things... |
Zach has been very supportive of my latest endeavor to ensure a positive birth experience this time around. He understands how important this is to me and doesn't deny the fact that he and the majority of our family are a little uncomfortable/nervous/anxious about my obsessive desire for a VBAC. I think he figures there's no harm in adding a knowledgeable, experienced woman who is there for no other reason than to make my dream birth a reality. Zach's role will be no less important; in fact, he'll be my emotional rock while the doula gets the task of alleviating my back labor, talking to the doctors for us, taking pictures and keeping a journal of what we experience, and more fun "stuff" Zach won't have to worry about this time around. This is the first we're mentioning our doula intentions to our family and friends, so we anticipate lots of questions, a little bit of judgement, and, hopefully, tons of support.
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| Welcome to Brady Central! |
Both Zach and Brady are under the weather today. Brady woke up with vomit all over him, and upon seeing it, Zach informed me he "doesn't do vomit." Luckily, both boys are still happy campers when they're sick, so taking care of them isn't too bad. They're currently napping together and if I weren't afraid of waking them, I would capture that Kodak moment for sure! But for now, this Mom has some puke-covered clothes to wash.
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