Doula Night

Last night we went to Get Babied and attended their "Meet the Doula Night."  I already explained the doula concept to Nick and he was already pretty much on-board with it, so that was nice. The once-a-month meeting is for people to meet the doulas in the collective, listen to a Birth Story, and a short presentation. This month's presentation was about helpful smart phone apps for pregnancy and birth. I figured Nick would like that!

It seems like a lot of people in Austin use Doulas and swear by them. The first time I ever heard the word "doula" was when I worked in Dallas at the home for pregnant and parenting teens. When I first got pregnant, I wondered if I would be able to afford one. After reading about Get Babied services, I think that their prices are quite reasonable and I love the philosophy.

So, what is a birth doula?

The word "doula" comes from the ancient Greek meaning "a woman who serves" and is now used to refer to a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after birth; or who provides emotional and practical support during the postpartum period. Studies have shown that when doulas attend birth, labors are shorter with fewer complications, babies are healthier and they breastfeed more easily.

The philosophy and service of a doula is much like hospice. It's about comfort care across a continuum. I like that they help support not only the woman, but her partner and that they act as a guide through the process of birth. But their work does not necessarily end right there. The other thing that I have learned from working in hospitals for almost 4 years, is that all patients need an advocate. When I think about how painful and debilitating birth may be, it is comforting to know there will be someone in there who knows me, has no one to tend to except me, and who will speak up for me when I may not be able to.

We met several doulas and they were all different, but we liked them all. It was evident that this is a calling for them and is a special line of work. So as we are nearing the half-way point in the pregnancy, it is nice to know that this community is so rich in resources and I feel comforted to know that Nick and I will have some extra help and reassurance when the BIG day comes!

Lastly, the presenter shared a sweet commercial with us that brought tears to my eyes when he was explaining it.  I've posted Dear Sophie, the Google Chrome commercial.

Google Chrome: Dear Sophie

The Big Reveal

The moment we have been waiting for finally arrived! I had my 18-week appointment yesterday and we had everyone on stand-by for the text message that would reveal what we are dying to know...BOY or GIRL? My appointment was supposed to be at 4:00 p.m. on Monday and we waited a gruelling 55 minutes to see the doctor. I was the last patient of the day.

Dr. Brown quickly got down to business (after all there were about 6 office girls waiting to leave for the day) and started the ultrasound exam. The baby came up and the heart was visibly beating. She maneuvered around and I couldn't make 2-cents of what was coming up on the blurry screen. Finally she pulled up the image we were waiting for. In a very anti-climatic way, she said "I'm pretty sure it's a girl." Hmmm.... I asked for a percentage of certainty, "Like, would you say 90% sure?" She agreed to that. I can live with 90% certainty. It will be 2 weeks until I see the specialist again and she said then I will get a 100% answer.

And that was it. We are 90% sure we are having a Baby GIRL!!! We are both so happy. We shared the news with our family and friends and look forward to start thinking about girl names!

Stretchy Pants!

I am getting to that point where it looks like I have eaten one-t00-many Double-Stuf Oreo cookies. While that may indeed be true, there is also another reason for my pants not fitting so well...Baby B is growing! Friends and co-workers have told me that I am starting to show. I still feel like it might be because of the Oreos! Nevertheless, I made my first maternity wear purchases this week. If I would have known how wonderful elastic-waisted pants felt, I probably would have been wearing them much sooner. However, my friends and I are keenly aware and try to avoid the "frumpy social worker" attire. That would likely include wearing elastic waisted pants with clogs (even if you weren't pregnant). While I don't plan on getting any clogs, a good pair of attractive comfort shoes would probably be a good idea. It's hard to be on your feet all day.

Another great thing happened yesterday. I met with my friend, Darshana, who has the most beautiful 1-year-old imaginable. Since that 1-year-old is out-growing her things, Darshana graciously is lending us many of the items that we need. She also gave me a bag full of books. Oh, I will have plenty of reading time when we drive to Michigan in July! She also gave me some great advice about classes to take here in Austin and other pointers. I am grateful for that!

So, today I am 16 weeks pregnant and everyone is asking, "How are you feeling?" I feel pretty good, thankfully. We have a busy weekend ahead. Lots of packing to do for the house. We move in 2 weeks!! Elizabeth and I checked out an adorable little daycare center near my work and our new place. With her urging we went in a toured it and it was so sweet! It changed my impression about what daycares are like. It looked like a really fun/educational place and made me want to be a Pre-schooler! After I got over the sticker-shock of the price, I kind of got excited imagining Baby B in a place like this socializing with other babies and learning. I know returning to work will likely make me feel sad at first, but seeing a place like this takes away some of the anxiety.