Week 17

I feel like I'm always playing catch up! I suppose that's what happens when you're renovating two houses, one of which you are also partially packing up (per the realtors request to de-clutter) and need to get on the market asap. Not that I'm actually doing much of the renovating--that whole "building supplies are toxic" thing when played with the pregnancy card takes out all other hands on the table--but I keep busy cracking the whip! hahah! Just kidding. Dear ol' hubby is a very dedicated machine and needs no whip cracking. He is way more motivated and hard working than I ever realized, and he seems to be having fun doing this stuff too, though I'm sure he's looking forwad to the day when it's all over and he can go back to lying on the couch in the evenings and watching the various cartoons and sci fi shows that he recorded that week. In the meantime, I stay busy packing boxes of books (our main source of "clutter") and doing other Donna Reed type tasks like cleaning and feeding my man. Oh, and homework--I'm taking that online grant writing course which I thought I needed because I had all this "free" time...so much for that luxury.

I did manage to find the time tonight to read weeks 16 and 17 in my pregnancy books so I at least know what's happening with the fetal floater. She (or he) is about the size of "your" hand open wide--who's hand? I don't know--Eric's hand is considerably larger than mine...I assume the author assumes her audience is a woman so a woman's hand? You get the point. Crown to rump length is about 4 1/2 inches. Weight is about 3 1/2 ounces...that means nothing to mean as I have no concept of what is an ounce is...I liked it better when they said it was the size of an olive or softball. These are tangible things I can picture.

The baby is also beginning to develop a little fat (and therefore looking less alien-like), and last week it started growing "soft lanugo hair" (so goodbye alien look, hello hairy caveman). I am starting to show a teeny bit though it still isn't clear that my "pooch" as Eric calls it is the cause of a developing baby and not just the result of a heavy Thanksgiving-type dinner. Since I mostly wear yoga pants and sweatpants, I have no idea whether I need maternity clothes yet...next time I attempt to put on jeans, I'll let you know how it goes.

I read that I am supposed to stop laying flat on my back now as the weight of the baby package is enough to squash my aorta and vena cava which can reduce blood flow to the baby...I remember Libby telling me that her first pregnancy caused her to pass out if she laid on her back because the weight of everything cut off the vena cava, but I have to wonder, if I'm not passing out, is it really cutting off the blood flow? I told Eric that if he notices me passed out lying on my back to roll me over and I should snap to. In the meantime, this seems a strange rule to follow, and I'm going to do more research before I give up my ab workouts (which the book so kindly points out that I need to stop doing now).

I've also expanded my baby reading to include Mothering magazine (which I love!! Thanks to Libby for recommending and to mom for buying me a year subscription) and the Hypnobirthing book listed at the side. (After finally finishing The Omnivore's Dilemma I decided I needed to focus my reading efforts on all things pregnancy, birthing, and breastfeeding related for the time being.) The hypnobirthing book is surprisingly interesting and not at all clinical or boring like I assumed it would be. I'm learning a lot and have started trying to practice some of the breathing techniques. I get pretty obessessive over whatever I'm reading so this makes me want to go to hypnobirthing classes and get a hypnobirthing instructor and just be gung ho hypnobirthing...I love the philosophy. But again, I'm super easily persuaded by a passionate person who has an idea that even remotely aligns to one I have.

Eric is reading The Birth Partner and seems to be enjoying it. We read together at night before bed and share interesting tidbits so that's been kinda fun.

Here's a fun cultural fact to wrap up with: "To the Jarara of South America, childbirth is such a normal event that it traditionally takes place in a location in full view of everyone." Although I'm not pushing for that kind of an audience, I really like the normalcy that is birth in other cultures...it's much better than the fear and pain and drugs and hospital-like procedures that are shoved down your throat in this culture (this is the hypnobirthing book speaking...).