Bradley Birth: Other Info

I had really hoped to share much more about what we learned in our Bradley classes, and maybe some of that will still happen. But as for now, it is not looking likely. These posts take lots of focus and writing, and I am afraid I have hit the exhausting end of pregnancy and just cant put fort the effort. Right now everything is taking ten times longer to complete, which is kinda annoying! Ha! And the to-do list before Griffin gets here is getting long and requires my attention.

But I wanted to go ahead and share lots of links that cover some different topics we did talk about in class. My teacher Lindsey has a page on Facebook called An Everyday Miracle, and if you are interested in Natural Childbirth then you should like the page. She is constantly sharing great links. So without further ado here are a bunch of random articles on random things pertaining to natural childbirth (let me note that I do not always agree with each article or chose what they say, but it is good to be informed regardless):

• Epidurals: Read this one, it makes some good points on the effect to baby... 
• http://thestir.cafemom.com/pregnancy/115815/natural_birth_isnt_about_getting?utm_medium=sm&utm_source=facebook&utm_content=natural_fanpage

• Episiotomy: This is when they cut you...
• http://www.mothering.com/pregnancy-birth/saying-no-to-episiotomy?page=0%2C
• Pelvic Floor Article: How to avoid tearing or getting cut... 
• http://www.childbirthconnection.org/article.asp?ck=10206
• Stages of Labor: What to expect during labor and the last one has tips for a stalled labor instead of just turning to drugs or a c-section... 
• http://mothering.com/pregnancy-birth/the-first-stage-of-labor
• http://mothering.com/pregnancy-birth/the-second-stage-of-labor
• http://www.bellybelly.com.au/birth/8-natural-effective-tips-for-stalled-labour
• Cervical Exams: Should you do it or not?? (FYI, she makes great points but I still decided to do it)
• http://www.nurturingheartsbirthservices.com/blog/?p=50
• Induction: Read these!! About induction overall, dangerous drugs used to induce, how to know when an induction is medically necessary, and why baby needs to stay in longer if possible... 
• http://www.hencigoer.com/articles/elective_induction/#9
• http://blogs.babble.com/being-pregnant/2011/06/06/are-labor-inducing-drugs-deadly/
• http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=658395n&tag=related%3Bphotovideo
• http://www.scienceandsensibility.org/?p=1998
• http://www2.dothaneagle.com/lifestyles/2011/apr/24/few-weeks-can-mean-big-difference-unborn-babies-ar-1751678/
• Newborn Procedures: Options you will face once baby is here... 
• http://www.modernalternativemama.com/blog/2011/5/18/healthy-pregnancy-series-newborn-procedures.html
• http://blogs.babble.com/being-pregnant/2011/05/23/vaccines-research-questions-and-sources/
• Fetal Positioning (Helping Baby get in a good position for birth):
• http://www.birth-angels.com/fetal.html
• http://spinningbabies.com/baby-positions/belly-mapping
• Birth Plans:
• http://www.nurturingheartsbirthservices.com/blog/?p=967
• http://www.modernalternativemama.com/blog/2010/11/17/healthy-pregnancy-series-writing-a-birth-plan.html

I am sure there are tons of other topics I wanted to discuss, but I am tired! Soon I do hope to either write a post on labor positions and dealing with pain in labor, or share an article. Lets hope that happens because I am sure I need a review anyhow! Goodnight all...

Nesting??

Before:


After:



- Mrs.Pate via my iPhone

36 Weeks and Counting...

• How far along: 36 Weeks
• Total Weight Gained: 31 lbs (started 107, currently 138) 
• Sleep: I wake up several times a night either to pee or to roll over, but I am pretty used to it at this point. Once I get up and going I am fine. I have also started to fall asleep if I sit for a minute or so! Ha! Yesterday I was cleaning and twice I sat for a minute and the next thing I know its 30 minutes later. 
• Best Moment of the Week:  Just laying in bed and letting Mr. Pate feel Griffin move all around. Precious. 
• Movement: Yep. He is a pushy little guy. I almost always have some body part pushing out of my stomach.     
• Food Cravings: N/A  
• Food Aversions: N/A
• Symptoms: Swelling when outside, tiring very easily, huffing and puffing, having to pee constantly, cannot roll over and have a harder time getting up from a sitting position, sore tailbone. 
• What I miss: Being able to do things without it wearing me out! 
• What I'm looking forward to: Griffin! We are getting soooo close. I just cant believe it.  
• Other news: We met Dr. Stice this week and that went well. He was ok with our birth plan so I feel good knowing that if Dr. Gass is gone, he will listen to us. My belly button is starting to poke out a little now, so thats funny. My mom came up this week and got me some pj type clothes for the hospital, which was very nice! And I am working on the lovely thank you cards... oh so many! 
• Gender & Name: It's a Boy! Griffin Alan Pate

Milestones:
According to Babycenter.com : Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.
At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position. But if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.

The long awaited reveal!

I haven't been trying to hold out on you, I promise. I just wanted to take pictures when there was a good amount of natural light, and things have been busy lately! Anyhow, here is our nursery at present (warning- large amount of pics coming at you!):

A view from the door

Going around the room to the left. My glider (which we both love to sit in) and fabulous curtains!

Love the alphabet letters! 

The sofa bed with a cheap slipcover we got on clearance! woo hoo!

Arent they cute?? LOVE THEM!

The blanket from the bedding and the cute things from Kirklands. 

These letters were decorations at the shower my sister threw me, and Mr.Pate thought of putting them on the door. I think its cute! The animals were in a diaper cake McKenna made for our church shower. 

Mr.Pate thought of putting up a rack for the diaper bags, such a smart man. And there will be two of those white owls up (thank you Whitney!) but one fell. 

This is from my sweet friend Nancy and has the life verse we picked out for Griffin on it (Col 1:9-11). 

The Crib! 

A top shot! Love the crib bedding- thanks Mist and Ash! That giraffe thing is a playmat that is super cute and soft! Thanks Rhoyce! 

This banner was used at the gallatin shower too. Love!

A cute gift from April that worked out perfect for the room. 

A little shelf we have hidden in the corner. 

We are getting a modern looking birth announcement framed and will put it in that spot to the right. 

We went with cubbies. 

More letters from the shower. Love reusing! 

The cute monkey Sarah made us!

Cute frame McKenna painted us!

Are these totes the cutest things or what?? You can actually stick your hands in the mouth and get stuff out! Thanks Kristen!

The picture that started it all... haha. 

A view of the organized closet... so many clothes! 

Mr. Pate put up a closet organizer with a bunch of shelves for us. We have lots of things in their own plastic tubs to stay organized. 

And that's it folks. We are still arranging things on the cubbie thing and the wide open spot next to the crib is going to have his birth announcement framed on it. Ill be sure to post that when we have it (which will be when we have a son! Ahh!! 

Overall I am very pleased. The room is bright and cheery, has some good modern touches but is fun and kid friendly. What do you think? 

35 Weeks and Counting...

• How far along: 35 Weeks
• Total Weight Gained: 30 lbs (started 107, currently 137) 
• Sleep: What is that? haha- its hard to come by
• Best Moment of the Week:  Working on the nursery with Mr.Pate! Putting away cute little clothes for our son that we will meet sooo soon!
• Movement: Tons of it. This week I officially started feeling hiccups also, and they are strong and consistent. I have also started feeling more movement down low (head or arms maybe?) which I hadnt been feeling.    
• Food Cravings: N/A  
• Food Aversions: N/A
• Symptoms: My feet and hands have started to swell some when I am outside in the heat, so I am glad I took my rings off. I am also wearing out very quickly these days. Huffing and Puffing, its really hard to bend over, have to pee constantly, cant roll over in bed, cant sit for longer periods of time, sore tailbone
• What I miss: Being able to roll over
• What I'm looking forward to: Bunko Shower this weekend and getting the whole house back to normal (instead of stuff being everywhere!). 
• Other news: The nursery is pretty complete now! Woo Hoo! I will try to take some pics and blog about it very soon. I am feeling pretty big these days and I am pretty sure me and these 90 degree days are not going to like each other- ha! I am just trying to keep at my exercising and good nutrition, because we are definitely in the home stretch! I just cannot believe it is getting so close. 5 weeks... wow. We go back to the doctor tomorrow to see Dr.Stice, one of Dr.Gass's partners. Hoping that goes well! 
• Gender & Name: It's a Boy! Griffin Alan Pate

Milestones:
According to Babycenter.com : Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.