Oh the joy of trimester two!
June 4th, 2008
And I mean that in all seriousness. I’ve been feeling great. I’ve been essentially feeling like my old, pre-pregnant self, just with a foggier head, bigger appetite, less coordination and more gas. Which, since I feel so good otherwise, is totally manageable, and (dare I say it?) kinda FUN! I’ve been regularly feeling the baby move, which has been such a thrill. It’s such a great confirmation that a real, live human being is growing in there! Plus, I’ve been enjoying looking pregnant, not like I just ate a bit too much Mexican food. Finding maternity clothes without spending a fortune hasn’t been the easiest job in the world, especially since I’m not a huge fan of shopping. But I believe I’ve managed to put together enough outfits to at least avoid repeats in a work week. Another fun development is that I have officially succumbed to the waddle. I resisted it for a while. I found myself holding my tummy in for no apparent reason. I figured out that I was in the cross over stage between normal walk and pregnant walk. Now, my belly is just big enough that I have to swing my hips to walk comfortably. And boy do I swing them! I jut that belly forward and waddle just as proud as can be!
I had another prenatal appointment on Friday and the heart rate was loud and clear and sounded totally normal according to the midwife. It was about 150 beats per minute, which, according to that old (debunked by science) wives’ tale, is well into girl range. We still don’t know the sex, but will be finding out in ten days (but who’s counting?). As an aside, I would like to point out that we’ll be finding out the SEX, not the GENDER of our child. Sex is biological and purely a measure of genitalia, chromosomes and hormones. The gender of our child we may not find out for years! Gender is something that is socially constructed around the sex of a child. It’s the answer to the question: what does in mean to be a girl in our culture? So, our child may have the genetic make-up of one sex but may want to express their gender in a non-conforming way. Dan and I will support this and encourage our child to be whoever it is that s/he feels s/he is! Okay, I have stepped off the soapbox for now.
In other pregnancy related news, Dan and I have decided to hire a Doula to assist with the labor and delivery. I was told by the midwife that we are much more likely to accomplish our goal of natural childbirth if a Doula is present. Once she said this, we were sold. The Doula is a woman who will come to our home during early labor, accompany us to the hospital and stay by our sides throughout labor and delivery, supporting and coaching us both. I have full confidence that she (whoever she turns out to be!), along with our midwife, will be able to keep me calm and focused throughout the delivery. This Doula will be one more piece in the puzzle of everything I need to ensure I have an empowered childbirth experience.
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