32 1/2 weeks pregnant...

A very fun and unique addition to more traditional belly shots!







Pre-Natal Art by Kristal Yee
www.kristalyee.com/fpbt

Photography by Reinier deSmit
http://www.brillianteye.ca/

Holy contractions batman!

So, I don't know if any of you have ever heard of this evil, vicious man named John Braxton Hicks who left behind even more awefulness called "Braxton Hicks Contractions"?

Well, I guess I'm kidding. At least, I'm mostly kidding. What I mean is, he didn't leave them behind per se... but he did "first describe them" according to Wikipedia. My opinion is... as a Doctor, do you really want to associate yourself with something so irritating for all of eternity?!

WIKI says : "Braxton Hicks contractions, also known as false labor or practice contractions are sporadic uterine contractions that usually start around 6 weeks however are not usually felt until the second trimester or third trimester of pregnancy." Ultimately, that means... they suck. I went to my pre-natal class at 32 weeks with a girl who had started feeling them at 18 weeks, (ugh). I didn't know WHAT I was feeling until I was about 30 weeks and had one in front of my doctor. She was like "Oh wow dear... so have you been having lots of these Braxton Hicks?' And I was like... "Huh?" Then suddenly I was like... "Ohhhhh..... right. Those things. Yeah, I was reading about those in my weekly pregnancy calendar... man, is THAT what this is??"

See, it feels just like a Charley-Horse... in your belly. Over & over & over again. Sometimes it's just enough to make you stop and scrunch up your nose and maybe catch your breath... sometimes it can double you over completely in discomfort, but almost all of the time it's aggravating enough to make you hobble to the bathroom in a panic to pee. I just assumed that it was the baby pushing really hard against my belly in a few random spots, but as soon as I knew what it was that I was experiencing, I was able to diagnose them, and even anticipate them starting.

WIKI says: "They should be infrequent, irregular, and involve only mild cramping. Braxton Hicks contractions are a tightening of the uterine muscles for one to two hours and are thought to be an aid to the body in its preparation for birth. Not all expectant mothers have these contractions. They are thought to be part of the process of effacement of the cervix." Guess I'm part of the lucky few who get to have them. Whoo hoo. At least I know that my stomach muscles are getting some exercise over these 10 months since I can't do P90X.

That said, I find that these f@#*ers occur whenever I cause my stomach muscles to flex. (And do you have ANY idea how often you inadvertently flex your stomach muscles in a day?!?!) You laugh. **flex** You're caught off guard. **flex** You sit up from lying down. **flex** You bend over to pick up dog poo. **flex** You have to take your own poo... you guessed it! **flex** (classy shit this whole pregnancy thing huh? ;p) So, I get them a few times an hour. That seems extreme to me, but nobody else seems to bat an eyelash.

Anyhow, now that I'm 36 weeks preggo in a matter of hours, I'm going to stop questioning things out loud. Especially after experiencing some weird tummy cramps today that I would have sworn were the start of labor if it weren't for my pre-natal classes and the internet-- it seems that anything I wonder about or google about simply states that my body is "preparing" for the "real thing". I swear I could be in actual labor and sources would say "well ladies, that's just your body prepping itself for motherhood." No shit.

Soo, I count down the weeks, the days. And if I make it to May 15 & am still blogging about f'n Braxton Hicks contractions instead of having the real thing, I will be hitting some serious inducement strategies.

Shower Etiquette...

When I told my husband that I was going to have a bunch of girls over for a shower, he thought this whole pregnancy thing had finally taken a turn for the better! "NIIIICE.... what night?!" BUT, when I then explained what kind of a shower I meant, he simply shrugged and turned back to his computer.

A guy can have his fantasies I guess... ;p

Baby Showers.

Who do you invite? Just women? Just women and maybe a few select couples? Just family? Just friends? Just close family? Just close friends? What about work friends? Do co-workers count as friends?

Well, for the sake of simplicity, let's just say we choose to go the "all girl" route. Do you invite every female you know / are related to / are associated with in life and risk looking greedy? Risk looking like you're running some popularity contest or are just inviting as many people as possible so that you'll be 'showered' with gifts? OR, do you go the opposite route. Maybe you're more selective about who you invite, thinking that you're doing everyone else a favor, and then you face the inevitable ego-bruising?

See, as the pregnant woman you think: "Maybe I don't know them well enough..." or "They wouldn't be interested in coming anyway..." or "They live so far away..." or "I just don't want to impose on anybody!" and as the uninvited guest, they're like: "It's not like I haven't known her for 2 years or anything..." or "I guess she just doesn't care that I'm interested in her baby's future..." or "It's not like I don't drive to Vancouver all the time..." or "I guess she just doesn't want me to be there."

Maybe all of the above are extremes, and there is some happy balance that I'm missing and other woman find? But I would imagine that 'to-get-or-not-to-get' an invitation will undoubtedly ruffle feathers no matter what the choice.


BUT, I've come to this... and I think it covers all bases:

* You are all welcome to come to my baby shower.
* You are all also welcome NOT to come to my baby shower.
* You are not obligated to bring 'gifts'. It would just be really cool to spend the afternoon catching up and introducing my worlds to each other.
* Gifts, however, will not be frowned upon as we are trying to spend as little / save as much money as we can.
* We would really prefer to get your hand-me-downs as gifts... collections from your friends' friends... purchases from Craigslist... items on a year or two loan etc. Let's take the environment and economy into consideration shall we? Second hand clothes and toys function just as well, are already doing their damage to the earth and are 1/2 the price to buy!
* For those of you who insist on buying all things *new* however, we are going to be registering a few of the bigger/ more specific & personal things at Babies 'R' Us and Walmart. (Maybe if they're pricey you can team up with a few other party-goers for these items?)
* AND, if you're at a complete loss, insist on the 'gift-thing' but don't want to risk doubling up on a purchase, cash or gift cards of any denomination ($5, $10, $20) will help us buy diapers and supplies later in the year. Costco / Walmart / Babies 'R' Us would be our first three choices for store gift cards.

(PS: If you are male and want to come to the shower, please let me know... I am not opposed to male attendees, but I think that Brad will be hosting a hockey-watching-beer-drinking-shower at the same time, so you may want to go to his instead!)

And that's that.

I hope to see you all / not see you all soon :) I don't have solidified dates of the two showers yet (both on the North Shore in April) but will keep you posted.

xo N