Pregnancy: Week 22
Waterbirth
At our prenatal appointment with Maria last week we talked a bit about waterbirth. She lent us two books on the subject, Water Birth: A Midwife’s Perspective and The Waterbirth Handbook: The Gentle Art of Waterbirthing. I also read the winter 2010/2011 issue of Midwifery Today (which features waterbirth) and found a handy post on Stand and Deliver that compares birth tubs. After seeing La Bassine advertised in Midwifery Today for several years now, I’ve been fantasizing about this particular tub (although I haven’t made a final decision yet).
I’m not a person who usually gravitates towards water or water sports, but I have an especially peaceful memory of our recent trip to Maui. On our last full-day in Hawaii, Taylor and I floated back and forth in an infinity pool that overlooked the Pacific Ocean. In that moment, I soaked in Taylor’s presence, the love between us, and our surroundings. I noticed how my mild aversion to water did not exist in that slice of time and wished for a similar setting to swim in back home. Unbeknownst to me, I was already pregnant with our second baby.
Women’s Wheel of Life
I let resources and inspiration come to me in their own time, and The Women’s Wheel of Life: Thirteen Archetypes of Woman at Her Fullest Power by Elizabeth Davis and Carol Leonard came into my field last week, just as I was preparing a special appreciation for my friend Thais for our Women’s Circle gathering.
Throughout history, women have typically been labeled as either Maidens, Mothers, or Crones (i.e. bleeding, bearing children, and stopped bleeding, respectively), which is a bit limiting, don’t you think? Authors, Davis and Leonard, certainly thought so, so they collaborated in identifying and naming a total of thirteen archetypes that more thoroughly represent the phases in women’s lives.
While the phases can correspond chronologically, they don’t necessarily have to. For example, a woman in her 40′s may have divorced and found a new life partner, tapping into the youthful and sensual energies of the Lover (which is located on the wheel, chronologically speaking, before the Mother). At the same time, a woman in her youth may tap into qualities of the elder archetypes as she reclaims her authentic self and shares her wisdom with others.
This wheel illustration allows for fluidity as women transition from one archetype to the next – around the wheel, back again, and even across the axis. When I read about the Blood Sister, Thais came to mind. I traced the Women’s Wheel from the book, copied it on to a piece of black cardstock, and colored it in with vibrant hues in colored pencils (above). I then presented the wheel to Thais at Women’s Circle and spoke of our collaborative journeys in women’s sprituality.
Within the Blood Sister archetype, “open heart and open mind combine with wildness and a sense of invincibility to generate powerful connections with women peers. These close ties help clarify her purpose in life, and motivate her continued explorations”.
Right On Time
As a simple, fun thing to do, I subscribe to BabyCenter’s weekly newsletters and read about how our baby is growing and how my body is changing. This week’s newsletter highlighted the baby’s ability to respond to loud noises he hears outside of the womb, and I immediately thought of this past weekend’s auction for Taylor’s preschool.
Jim and I retrieved auction items for winning bidders while music blasted and people danced nearby. Our baby was much more active than usual at such a late hour of the evening, and when I shared this observation with Jim, he chuckled and attributed the extra movement to the loud music.
Food!
I thoroughly enjoy food whether I’m pregnant or not; however, in pregnancy, my cravings for certain foods become much more pronounced. For weeks now, I’ve been wanting canned tuna and eating it about once a week with some brown rice pasta, heavy cream, Parmigiano-Reggiano, sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper. I guess you could equate it to my own stovetop version of tuna casserole.
More recently, I’ve been craving eggs. I was severely allergic to eggs as a child (i.e. blocked airways and in need of an epi-pen), and over time, I worked towards building up a tolerance for them. There was eventually a point in time when I ate two eggs everyday for breakfast. However, when I was investigating food sensitivities last year, eggs showed up as something my body may have a difficult time processing, so I stopped eating them in their whole form.
Fast forward to last week, and I gave into the strong craving for this nutrient-packed source of protein. I didn’t notice any ill effects, so I’ve continued to embrace them this week. I’m guessing that since I’m pregnant (and my immune system is naturally compromised to allow the growth of the baby), my body is less likely to react badly to eggs in a pregnant state. Whatever the reason, my body is telling me that eggs are OK for now, although I’m keeping an eye on myself and ready to remove them from my diet again at the first sign of trouble.
At the beginning of pregnancy, I craved fruits like clementines. Now, I’m on to gala apples and kiwi. The idea of summer berries seem tempting at a first glance, but I’m really waiting for the proper season to arrive so that I may enjoy local varieties. Mmm…bring on the berries!
Memory Lane
I asked Jim to bring some of Taylor’s newborn clothes and supplies upstairs from the basement this weekend, and I looked through vacuum-sealed bags for items that can be used again for this baby. I pulled out some blankets, cloth diapers, and footed sleepers and tucked them into the dresser that I’ve reserved for the baby. Feeling the fabric and seeing the patterns of Taylor’s old baby clothes conjured memories of what it felt like to hold her little body.
Stand and Deliver
As you may have noticed, I’ve been reading and referring to Rixa Freeze’s blog quite a bit lately. She recently gave birth to her third child at home, and I appreciate the sharing of her birth story through words and video footage. It reminds me that I’ve been wanting to educate myself on neonatal resuscitation before this baby is born. Who knows where I’ll be and how quickly this baby may come. I rather be prepared to take action, if needed.
I initially wanted to share Rixa’s video footage on my Facebook page so that my friends could see a much different portrayal of birth than what is often broadcasted through our culture’s media, but I stopped myself. I was worried that the image of a floppy baby (who was skillfully resuscitated by her mother) would stir up too much fear, too much fear in my friends and too much fear hurtled my direction.
New Sensations
Although most people may have to look closely at me to detect that I’m pregnant, my belly is way bigger this time than when I was pregnant with Taylor. I just stepped into the 23rd week of pregnancy today, and my belly looks like it has an almost 30-week Taylor inside!
With a much larger belly at this point, moving my body is certainly more of a challenge. Getting up from the couch, sitting up in bed, and tying my shoes certainly take more care and effort. Walking up hills presents its challenges as well. There is no longer a need to find a steep set of stairs to climb for a bit of cardio. All I need to do is walk up one of the many inclines in this city. It’s an instant workout.
The entire length of my back gets tight and sore, so I heat it, massage it, stretch it, and try to avoid being in one position too long. Sleeping is becoming more of a challenge as well because my body gets sore, and I need to pee at least twice every night. The peeing is inconvenient but to be expected. The soreness, on the other hand, is annoying. I may need to reinstitute a daily afternoon nap at this rate.
Post-partum Help
Jim and I have been talking about what kind of support we would like and need after the baby is born. Aside from Jim, my mom is the only person I feel comfortable inviting into my space immediately post-partum to support us. For now, the plan is for Jim to take two weeks off of work, beginning with the baby’s birth. Then, my mom will come for two weeks (pending her boss’s approval), and then Jim will follow a modified work schedule until I’m sure-footed enough to take care of all of us on my own. The trickiest part of this whole plan is timing. How well will we be able to time the baby’s birth with my mother’s arrival?
I caught my reflection in a store window through the lens of my camera phone.
