Benefits of Hiring a Doula

I am so excited and thankful to be working with a doula for this pregnancy. Kirsty came recommended and offered her services to us and for that alone I am so grateful. She has been a huge support these last few weeks of pregnancy alone. She came with me to my antenatal appointment and helped support me with the OB in the conversation I was dreading having with them. We have decided to have a homebirth and this Thursday my local midwives are coming to book the 'home delivery', I am hoping Kirsty can make it along for this too.

Having a doula support me in pregnancy means having a silent advocate I can rely on right now. She knows so many useful things which means for my homebirth I can rely on her to support me and allow Martin to be himself and mind Eva if that situation arises, you never know. I may give birth during the night and she could miss it all!

Right now, Martin and I are getting to know Kirsty and have met with her a few times. Martin can't wait to have her here to invite baby number 2 into the world. We plan to create a loving nest for me to labour in, and that's what I am most looking forward to. I hope to labour naturally and if needs be of course I will go to hospital and be treated there, however I think its important to think positively and aim for the outcome we want rather than focus on the whatif's or couldbe's.

Kirsty knows massage and runs infant massage classes, she has done her degree as a complementary therapist. She is a mum of two boys already so I know she understands the birthing experience. I certainly think we are on the same wavelength and she understands my needs in a way I couldn't even articulate.

Kirsty's blog post explaining more on what a doula is can be found on her infant massage website. I just love that I only had to put the thought out into the universe of my needs for a doula and she appeared. I am just so grateful!

Brigid

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28 Weeks Pregnant With Baby Number 2 - Fetal Growth Scan Tomorrow!

I hope to write about my pregnancy every two weeks, otherwise it can get a bit much. Haha. I think I might post a bit more come nearer the time but right now I don't feel much change to warrant a post every week.
Comment if you want more though!

I can't believe that's me in the final stretch. I think nesting has hit in a big way, if you read my last post you'll remember I wrote about rearranging the patio space and clearing out the house, well we finally took a car load of stuff to the skip yesterday and it feels so good having all these places in my house good to go. However, Martin if you are reading this, there is a lot more to do. I felt I stretched myself quite far and was pretty darn sore on Tuesday, I had to call the osteopath and she said I was quite out of allignment. My left hip was lower than my right, and since then it feels like the opposite to me, now my left hip feels high!

28 weeks pregnant with second baby

28 weeks pregnant with first baby

Haha, don't think I was having a good week in the picture above!

How far along? 28 weeks and 1 day!

Total weight gain/measurements: No idea, as I said before I am not tracking it. I still fit into my regular size 16 maternity clothes.

Maternity clothes: all the time, now the weather is a bit warmer I am also wearing maxi dresses as skirts! 

Stretch marks: I have this huge deep one from my last pregnancy that is agony! Using everything under the sun to moisturise it and stop it itching. I find Vaseline really helps. Lol, Martin think its sick when I tell him I need to moisturise my crevace. :)

 

Sleep: OK,still waking once at night. Eva has had the cold for the last few weeks so sleep has been pretty disrupted for everyone. I am napping when I feel the need. Luckily I can sleep when she sleeps!

 

Best moment this week: Yesterday, getting stuff taken to skip and visiting Martin's nana. Then coming home to have our new favourite meal of Basil, bacon and peach baked brie. 

Miss anything? My hips are aching these days so I can't wait for that to go. I know if I take it a bit easier than I have been I should feel better.

Movement: Loads, whenever I relax. I try to relax often during the day so baby gets a chance to wake then and not at night and hopefully encourage good sleep habits!

Food cravings: I've been craving funny things, like Oreo, marshmallow and white chocolate ice cream. Luckily Ben & Jerry's baked alaska and oreo cookies mashed up works!

Ben & Jerry's baked alaska and oreo cookies

 

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope.

Gender: Girl. Should get confirmation of this at tomorrow's ultrasound.

Labour signs: None.

Symptoms: Stretch marks, pelvic girdle pain, slight back ache at times, swollen ankles and hands, tiredness, dry eyes (can't really wear contacts :( ) 

Belly button in or out? In, doubt it will pop, didn't last time!

 

Wedding rings on or off? Off, still have fat, swollen fingers lol!

 

Happy or moody most of the time: Generally happy, though I feel I am nesting lately so things are making me more emotional because their not done and I want it done yesterday.

 

Looking forward to: I am and I amn't looking forward to tomorrow. I am because we'll see our baby again, but I amn't because I need to persuade the OB  to let me have a home birth.

My reasons to have one are mixed and complicated. At the end of the day its my choice, and I will have a happier birth if I'm supported to give birth in my own home. 

Going to ask the OB and heamotologist to please support my decision and not to coerce or judge me. 

They can lay out the facts and we can have an open dialogue. 

However, I am this baby's mother and my baby and my own safety are paramount to my decision. There is no one more aware of the risks yet I think the benefits of home birth outweigh any risks. 

I don't want to be made to feel isolated or threatened by these doctors, or be told I am putting my life and my baby's life in danger for my choice to give birth at home. 

At the end of the day that kind of judgement borders on bullying. 

My decision might be out of the box but it would be really helpful to have a discussion on how to safely support me rather than dismiss my wishes.

Wish me luck for tomorrow, I still feel extremely overwhelmed by it all. It seems like everything I'm somehow doing is focusing on this baby's birth and it would be nice to forget about it all and simply go with the flow. It doesn't help having the hospital treat me like a lab rat. 

I should have refused this fetal growth scan anyway, it adds more stress on to me and the baby which isn't helpful for anyone. From what I can gather the ultrasound is such a bad tool in guaging fetal weight anyway so if they start mentioning that to me I can only divert them to discussing the whole reason for this scan, the placental function?? Also, the research I have read says its impossible to check placental function through a scan. 

To be honest, I want to trust my body to do the best for my baby. I have one healthy child already yet that fact is dismissed. 

Brigid

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