On My Mind

As usual, our first baby, due in 38 days, is on my mind. This morning is a little chilly, (what we here in QLD call chilly anyway- about 13oC :-)) so I was imagining what I will be dressing him in. Here you can see a little organic cotton beanie-hat I've crocheted for him, one of the bamboo cloth nappies bartered by Rhonda from (http://www.beansproutbubba.com.au/), warm cotton underclothing, a Bonds cotton wondersuit, and a gorgeous jumper knitted by his Great Aunty Tricia also made from a soft bamboo cotton. I think this outfit would keep him very warm and comfortable in the up-coming winter (and possibly even for a trip to the Arctic- dont worry I have a thermometer :-)).

I just quickly wanted to share with you why I feel organised and prepared for having our first baby. Yes we have all the essentials, cot and pram etc, and a lot of beautiful clothing for him. But that is not what I mean. Shane and I feel prepared because throughout this whole pregnancy we have read up on the natural birth process in wonderful books such as

"Guide To Childbirth" - Ina May Gaskin
"Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering" - Dr Sarah J Buckley

and we have undertaken a course called Calmbirth with a beautiful midwife Sarah Whyte . We have also read a lot on gentle parenting techniques, getting them to feed and sleep etc, so we will at least know what to do when our little boy is first here with us at home.

The Calmbirth course taught us that the female body is designed to birth a baby (I know how silly this sounds but I was shocked to realise this for myself!)- and that there is no need to fear the birth process. It also taught us relaxation and breathing techniques, so we will remain calm throughout the birth without panic or fear, because FEAR = TENSION = PAIN. That is what Calmbirth teaches.

I really wanted to share this with you this morning because this course and all the reading, have been the MOST wonderful thing Shane and I could have done to prepare for our baby; and it has also literally changed my life. Before all this, I had so much fear of birth as so many of us in our culture, that I just thought it would be easier (?!) to elect a Cesarean, or else have as MANY pain relief drugs as the nurses would give me. "Yes drugs please, Dr- and can you erase my memory afterwards as well??!" - Crazy, right?

But I now have the knowledge, the confidence in my body, and the trust, with the support of my amazing husband, that I can actually do this! Of course I am aware that sometimes, medical intervention is necessary, for Baby and for Mother (thank goodness for Dr's in those cases-) , but I feel that I am prepared mentally for anything without the fear that I once had. I am keeping an open mind and an open heart, and I am actually looking forward to the birth!!! I have done a complete turnaround- its true- Knowledge is Power.

If there are any pregnant women out there reading this, who like I was, are afraid of the birth and anxious- I urge you to consider looking at doing a Calmbirth course, or at least read up on natural birth, as it will change your life and you will feel the most prepared you could possibly be.

I have also joined the Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) and Shane and I participated in one of their one-day classes, as I am determined to breastfeed our son. They have taught me that yes it can be very difficult but most problems can be over-come with help from either a lactation consultant, or support from an ABA counsellor- they have a help line 1800 686 2686. How awesome is that?? And they told me the more you know about breastfeeding, the greater chance you will have of success. I can imagine if I were alone at home without a phone number to call for help, I too would want to give up and go to formula, as so many women do because they are desperate to feed their babies. But there is help! Thank goodness.

I really cant wait to meet our boy- I am nearly bursting with happiness and impatience- but at the same time enjoying these last few precious weeks with Shane and being able to sleep when I want Hehehe :-)

Thanks for letting me share a little bit of personal preparation and happiness here today- and I cant wait to tell you how it all goes- next month :-)
Xx

Organising in the Third Trimester

Today I've been working on yet another To-Do list, entitled "To-Do Before Peanut Arrives". There's quite alot on the list, and I'm sure it will grow over the coming weeks. While there's still about 8 weeks til baby Peanut is here, I know that this time will fly by and before we know it we will have this precious little person in our lives.

As the cold weather approaches, I will need to go through my winter clothes and find warm items that I fit now and will continue to be able to wear for the rest of my pregnancy. I'm a little apprehensive; I think this pile will be relatively small... which means I may need to borrow late-pregnancy maternity wear from friends or go op-shopping for some extra stretchy items. I don't want to spend alot of money on things I'm only going to use for a few weeks.

Next on the To-Do list is the dreary Centrelink and Medicare forms which will need to be done soon. In some ways I am a terrible procrastinator; especially anything to do with paperwork. When I was studying at university I would leave all of my written assignments til the very last, stressful minute (I worked better under pressure! or at least that was my excuse). Paperwork is still a challenge for me, it's something I really have to force myself to do. I try to get the tedious tasks such as these over and done with so I can move on to something more enjoyable. Like washing and sorting out the new gorgeous cloth nappies my MIL Rhonda gave us today, from http://www.beansproutbubba.com.au/

So, the list so far- winter maternity wear, paperwork, cloth nappies. Rhonda also gave us a toilet-fitting hose for hosing down the cloth nappies, so we will need to fit that onto the toilet tap. I think I will delegate that task to my husband.

I'm sure there's more to do than this though!! Do you have any suggestions? I would love to hear from expectant mothers what is on your "To-Do before Baby Comes" list. BTW we have already got the baby essentials- a cot, pram, change table, plenty of baby clothing, sling, baby bath, baby bouncer, and a whole lot more! I think we are fairly prepared in that department already :-)