Darcy and Breanna's Log

Photos of Aggie!

breanna — Wed, 12 May 2010 15:44:11 -0400

Yes, there are finally some photos of Agatha's first month and a bit up. There are also a few new ones of Moira and some sister shots too.

Sorry my blogging has been lacking, but I'll try and catch up soon!

Baby Agatha finally arrives!

breanna — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 19:50:57 -0400

She's here! Moira's baby sister Agatha arrived at 4:39pm on Saturday, March 13th.

I'll post more details later, but for now you can see photos here:
http://www.eclecticmind.ca/mediagallery/album.php?aid=341&page=1

The next two days are fraught with peril...

breanna — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:19:14 -0500

scheduling peril that is. While I've been eager to go into labour, now I'm starting to want it to hold off a little...
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Our water heater has a suspicious ailment possibly related to a malfunctioning water softener (which we thought was fine). We can only hope other appliances haven't been affected. Anyway, having to get it replaced is adding to the busy nature of the next few days.

Tomorrow Moira has morning playgroup and and afternoon doctor's appointment. It's only a well check, and my mom could take her if we can't, but I'd still like to be there.

Thursday I have a morning ultrasound assessment that will take at least an hour. Then the water heater is being replaced sometime in the afternoon. It would be best if I or Darcy were here for that too as there are questions to be asked and options to try with the new install. That evening we go for another assessment and consult at the hospital, which could lead to who knows what...

So part of me wants all this scheduling to go well and no labour to happen. The other part of me wants labour to get going right away so maybe we'll even be back for the water heater thing and not need the assessments.

But there's no way to really plan or control any of this unfortunately, and that's as frustrating as the general I'm-tired-and-heavy-and-why-isn't-this-baby-out feelings.

Sigh.

Overdue

breanna — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:42:08 -0500

My due date was 4 days ago on Thursday, March 4th... still waiting on baby.
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So I haven't been writing much. Mainly because I've been feeling more and more run down, heavy, frustrated and so on. It's tiring and disheartening. With Moira, I ended up having a c-section at 38 weeks and 6 days. I've never been as pregnant as I am right now at 40 weeks and 4 days (and counting).

At my last midwife appt I was 39 weeks and 5 days. My cervix wasn't at all ready or changed. Now I could go anytime, and labour could start before my cervix changes, but I'm feeling a little depressed at my current state. My primary midwife starts on vacation today unfortunately. This means that I'll have the student midwife, who has been seeing me almost since the beginning, and either my second or third back up midwife - both of whom are very nice and I've met (though Darcy hasn't met the third).

At least this baby is head down.

If I don't go into labour by Thursday, I have an appt for a biophysical profile ultrasound that morning and a non-stress test with an OB consult that evening in the hospital. At that point, the midwives and OB (the Dr who did the c-section for Moira should be the one there to consult) will discuss the results for me and decide on a course of action. The options will be either to induce me right away, wait a bit and then maybe induce me, or go straight to having another c-section. In any case, they won't let me go past 10 days overdue, which is this Sunday.

I'm really hoping not to have to have another c-section. The idea of going into labour is more than a little daunting. I haven't experienced it before and I have no idea how I'll handle the pain. I would like to avoid the c-section to reduce my recovery time from the birth. Whether I can manage the birth if induced, which may lead to stronger contractions, I don't know. I'd rather not have an epidural but may feel differently in that moment :)

So baby needs to get a move on and my labour needs to start. So far I've felt some cramps/pains in my lower abdomen (hopefully my cervix starting to change) but nothing else. My mom came down on Tuesday and has been helping, especially with Moira. I don't have a lot of nerves or energy left to manage her exuberant self all the time, though I feel bad that we aren't getting out much. She's absolutely thrilled to have Grandma down to play with, however, so I can't feel too horrible.

Here's hoping my body and baby get going before Thursday...

It's time to play the music, It's time to light the lights...

breanna — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 09:00:57 -0500

Moira has discovered The Muppets! Her love of Sesame Street continues and has spilled over into Muppet love as well. Her favourites so far are Animal (she will get up on the Rock Band stool and bang away at the drums saying "Animal!" and "Louder!") and Miss Piggy, though Kermit is also recognized and appreciated (especially when singing).

If you haven't already seen them, check out the newer clips on YouTube that The Muppets Studio has been putting up. Many of them are great, though I particularly enjoyed the Bohemian Rhapsody one.

http://www.youtube.com/user/MuppetsStudio

38 weeks and still huge

breanna — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 21:02:00 -0500

Well, today I'm actually 38 weeks and 2 days. With Moira, I was 38 weeks and 6 days when I had the c-section.

Right now I'm feeling very heavy, often nauseous, and have a muscle strain in my upper belly that is very annoying. I get tired and achy very easily. This week I'll probably stay home with Moira for the most part. I've gotten the majority of the errands I wanted done completed. I will take her to our regular Early Years session though, and maybe a play date if the arrangements come together. Otherwise, I'm taking it easy.

I'm pretty much ready to go anytime now, but have no idea where my body is at. The last midwife appt was straight forward, baby still being head down and such. Moira and Darcy weren't there though. Moira was sick with a cold and we didn't want her spreading her germs around the little babies at the clinic. My next midwife appt is on Tuesday, when they'll check my cervix and see how things look. They may be able to do some things to help spur labour on as, being that I'm trying for VBAC, I shouldn't go past my due date if possible.

Still, no itch! When I was pregnant with Moira I endured the dreaded PUPPPS. No sign of the rash this time, thankfully.

37 weeks - Full Term!

breanna — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 09:00:59 -0500

Yay - I'm technically full term. Unfortunately, my due date is still three weeks away. I'm good to go anytime though.

My primary midwife and the student assisting her visited the house on Monday for our at home visit. Moira watched Elmo most of the time, but got giggly and interactive towards the end. We mainly discussed what to expect at the hospital and such once I went into labour and so forth. Baby still appears to be head down. I will have to wear a fetal monitor at the hospital because it's a VBAC, though no interventions will be needed unless there's fetal distress or they think I'm in distress (then it's a c-section). The other thing of note is that, should I get an epidural, there will be a transfer of care to an OB. The midwives would still be there, but an OB would need to be involved and be in charge.

Here's hoping all goes well (and soon)!

Two neat videos

breanna — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 22:21:27 -0500

These are neat videos that I found on youtube by Ben Goldacre. One is about Homeopathy, the other about the placebo effect. They aren't long, but they are very interesting.

Prenatal yoga and "woo"

breanna — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 09:00:30 -0500

I've been taking prenatal yoga classes for a few weeks. I'm going to the same instructor as I did when I was pregnant with Moira, but she's got her own studio now. Part of her classes include guest speakers and so far I've been unimpressed by 2 of 3 of them.
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The yoga class itself is great. I find it relaxing and good for my often stiff muscles. It helps me clear my mind from the otherwise constant thoughts of all the things that need to be done before baby's arrival. I also enjoy talking to some of the other moms. They usually have an herbal tea made for us to drink and sometimes cookies. Not having to bring a mat or any props to class is also a big bonus.

The first speaker that we had after a class was a Homeopathy practitioner. This woman was strictly into homeopathy, not a registered Naturopath. What's the difference? Well, mainly, naturopaths use a variety of different treatment options, a fair chunk of which actually have some scientific data to support them, whereas homeopathy is pretty much unproven and of dubious value.

Homeopathic remedies are not explained well generally, but here's what they really are. Some substance is taken, say Arnica (which is a topical anti-inflammatory) and added to water. This solution is then diluted many times, again and again, until there is so little of the original substance remaining that one cannot find it on a molecular level. This "solution" is then added, by droplet, onto sugar pills or taken in liquid form.

More here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeopathy

As she tried to explain homeopathy, the speaker made several statements that concerned me. Generally, she recommended always trying a homeopathic remedy first, though she did readily conceed that if there was no improvement that one should see a mainstream doctor. She also noted that, while a single homeopathic dose/pill should be effective, one could take multiple doeses (i.e. eat a whole bottle full) and suffer no ill effects - this seems contradictory to me.

Her analogies and anecdotes also seemed wrong. She noted how wonderful it was to see a baby immediately react to being given a remedy, but I can see why getting a lump of sugar placed in your mouth would grab the attention of any child.

Her discussion of science was just weird. While agreeing that there was no scientific evidence that her remedies worked, she said that:

*People used aspirin for a long time before it was proven effective - which is true, but it has been scientifically proven. People also used to bleed out those who had fevers, but that was topped when folks realized how ineffective and unproven it was.

*The room we were in was filled with radio waves even though we couldn't see them. If we had radios, then we'd know. I'm not sure how this related to homeopathy unless she was trying to say that just because we couldn't see it working, doesn't mean it isn't. It's a poor analogy though, as radio waves are man made as are the receivers that hear them; we can clearly find them if we want to with science, unlike homeopathic remedies.

*Her flash drive, which she held up, was something she couldn't understand and couldn't be explained - it was something that 100 years ago would have been deemed impossible. She insinuated this was like homeopathy, which made no sense. Flash drives are man made and clearly explainable as devices.

The whole thing seemed to come down to her saying that homepathic remedies simply worked on some magical and unknowable level and should be regarded and preferrable to proven mainstream medicine. She also seemed vaguely anti-vaccination, which bothered me.

The following week a Chiropractor was the speaker. She praticed a slightly different style and also promoted her treatments for everything - lots of unproven things like allergies and so on, as opposed the musculoskeletal things they're known for treating. She was also clearly anti-vaccination as she stated she and her children has not been vaccinated and, when discussing bringing babies in to see her, bascially said she'd help parents mitigate the negative effects of vaccines if they "choose to go through with vaccination".

Her chiropractic style was less manual, she didn't do the cracking type manipulations but more of a light touch type (she demonstrated on someone in the class).

Chiropractic: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiropractic

This past week a midwife visited. She was actually from the same practice as my midwives. She explained about midwifery and what midwives could offer as opposed to or in conjunction with obstetricians, noting their medical training and applied training as well. I knew most of this already, but it was interesting talking to her about some of the logistics and how OHIP can make it difficult sometimes for OBs and midwives to work together for clients. She also described the good relationship they had with local OBs and Grand River Hospital - which I witnessed myself when my midwife attended my C-section, assisting during and afterwards. Whenever I see midwives slammed online, it often seems to be a subset of American midwives that is being discussed, as medical training and credentials aren't always as rigorous there as they are here (in Ontario anyway).

St. Jacobs Midwives: http://www.stjacobsmidwives.on.ca/

We'll have to see who comes this week. I have yoga classes right up to my due date, though whether I'll be able to attend is a whole other matter.

Moira's food issues continue

breanna — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 20:00:40 -0500

Moira has had some food difficulties as she moves away from eating baby specific foods, mostly having to do with texture and vegetables...
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It isn't that she doesn't like vegetables. She'll power down vegetable purees if they're put in front of her: sweet potato, squash, peas, beans, corn, etc. Unfortunately, she's been reluctant to actually eat vegetables in any other form, with the exception of corn on the cob.

This has resulted in a lot of dinner time bargaining and cajoling, trying to get her to eat or at least try some new things. Since Halloween, Moira has understood the concept of a treat. Our intial attempts to get her to try things revolved around try-it-or-no-treat tactics. Sometimes this worked and sometimes it didn't. She can be a very stubborn girl.

However, we've recently begun trying something new. When we've been out to eat, Moira has been more likely to grab and try different things. At home, we're now putting out the foods available for dinner on the table and serving them to everyone. This has, particularly with the vegetables, led to a bit less vehemence or get-it-away from Moira. Getting her to try a spoonful of something isn't quite as hard when we serve or eat things in an order - i.e. try some veg and then we get rice or cous cous or fish. She's also been less focused on treats. We're hoping that, as this continues, she'll be more likely to start eating a little of the veg of her own intiative.

Currently, she loves eating breads and grains. Sticky rice, perogies, and cous cous are coveted, as is bread in almost any form (and she adores poppadum). She really loves crusty bread and, unlike so many other kids, will eat the crust and leave the soft middle. We should get some pictures up of how her decrusted toast and bagels look - Moira enjoys visiting the "Bagel Guy" whose bagels have a nice crusty exterior she munches on enthusiastically. Kraft Dinner and peanut butter & honey sandwiches are preferred lunch options. Mini Wheats are still her breakfast of choice, though she'll also content herself with Cheerios or bagels.

Since she was keen on the purees, I was hoping that she'd take to soups, but I think the heat puts her off. She's always eaten purees cold or at room temp, and maybe the spices put her off the soups a bit. I might try and make, or blend some puree and soup, to create a blander option that she might try. I'd like to learn to make some vegetable risottos too, but the liklihood of having time to do that is slim given that Moira will soon be a big sister.

We'll just have to keep at it for now and hope for the best - and that she doesn't get thrown further by baby's arrival.