I mean, what else is going on in my life?
As our little bit gets more and more active and we get closer and closer to February (tho I think he's coming in March), I contemplate all of the information I'm receiving from various sources on parenting and what's best.
What a lot to wade through! Weaning, co-sleeping, introducing solids, scheduling, diapering, when to have subsequent children... all of what I'd planned on doing is still up in the air, as more and more information leads to more and more options.
And, as the time draws nigh (okay, we have several months, but they're several busy, busy months!), I wonder if I'll even have the courage to make decisions and follow through with them, even if there's pressure from family members to do it another way.
How do other moms navigate those things? I feel like it was a big step to decide we wanted a midwife and a homebirth, and we definitely met some resistance. All our parents and family members are very, very well-meaning, and I don't think we'd be undermined in our wishes by either families. But for some reason, I still feel pressure to do things the way they were done with us when we were children. Maybe that's not even being felt on their sides; it could very well just be my own insecurities. Does this get better? Or, heaven help me, worse? Eek!
But I have so enjoyed my little active boy. He was ricocheting from one side of my uterus to the other this morning. THUMPthump...THUMPthump... over and over on a tilted axis of my upper right to lower left. Hope it doesn't hurt him to hit his head like that. I'm not sure of this, but he seems really strong for only 23 weeks - he wakes me up with his exercises at night and in the morning, and I can see him kicking on the outside, not just feel it when I put my hand on my tum. I'm just thankful he can't yet reach my ribs! Although I'm nervous it means he'll be like me in temperament, instead of like my placid husband. I guess that's just one more thing I have to let go of - letting our baby be exactly who he is, and not hoping for a tiny copy of my husband.
I kept meaning to ask you at church what you are having...so it's a boy! How exciting! Stephen calls our Maddie "little bit," that is so funny you do the same! In regards to your decision making...there's so much information/advice out there and what I find to be helpful is to seek the Lord first and then research things and educate yourself, talk to those who you find to consistently give wise counsel [cause He may use those to confirm or make you think twice about something!] :o) Sounds like you are doing just that! Some decisions are worth wavering on, while others aren't. But then again, that's life in general, huh? :o)
ReplyDeleteSo glad you're going with a midwife/home birth! You will love the experience. We did no drugs in a hospital with a doula, but only because our insurance made that SUPER cheap to do otherwise I would have loved to use the Austin Birthing Center. Coolest midwives around! It was an incredible experience. Wouldn't have changed a thing about it, pain and all. I don't know if I've recommended these books to you for pain prep, but Ina May's Guide to Childbirth (she's a bit kooky but so many positive birth stories), and Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way. Both books have great pain management techniques.
ReplyDeleteIf you're considering co-sleeping, attachment parenting, etc. . . a good book for navigation is the Baby Book by Dr. Sears. Very comprehensive. And regardless of the silly title, I still can't recommend the Happiest Baby on the Block by Henry Karp enough (and his subsequent book, Happiest Toddler on the Block).
Ha, I just realize how many suggestions I'm making! Hopefully I'm not coming across as pushy! These are the things that worked for us and I love to pass them on to other people. :)
Excited for you as you continue your pregnancy journey! It's an amazing thing to become a mom.
So great that he hasn't found your ribs yet. I carried John so high that he often kicked at my ribs. John also woke me up with exercises... but I called them karate practices... lol.
ReplyDeleteIn my 6 months of parenting I've learned that it doesn't get easier or better. I've resulted in just going with my gut. That might not be the wisest advice, but it keeps me sane.