A Year of Learning, Loving, and Living

Celebrating Brayden's 1st Birthday!


It's been a year since I wrote in this blog about my birth story. Really?!? How did that happen? Looking back, it feels like this year has gone by so fast, but at the same time it feels like so much has happened in this year that it has actually been a long year.

I am heading back to work full-time next week so I have recently been feeling very emotional and reflective. I am trying to cherish all the time off I have with my husband and son. My husband took some vacation time during my last two weeks off so we could spend some time together as a family before I go back to work. I love that he did that! I have seen a completely different side of my husband since he became a father. I remember my friend, Rene, telling me after she had her first child, that once you see your husband as a father you will love him even more. She was right. It completely melts my heart to see my husband with my son, Brayden. He has been such a rock for our little family and shown us such support and love.

We made the big decision this year to sell our cozy apartment in Kitsilano and buy a house in Steveston. It was something we'd talked about before but when it came time to do it, we felt quite emotional about it. Our apartment in Kitsilano was the first home we'd bought together and where we shared so many memories for 7 years. Moving from Kitsilano to Steveston marked the closure of one chapter in our lives and the start of a new one as a family. Since we moved about a month and a half ago, my husband has worked non-stop to renovate our house to make it into the beautiful home we envisioned when we first saw it. He is the most hard-working man I know and such a wonderful husband and father. I am very blessed.

This year-long jouriney of mat leave has been such an amazing experience. Seriously, it has been one of the best years of my life but so unlike anything I have ever experienced before. It has been full of so many challenges, triumphs, so much learning and discovering. I never thought motherhood would be easy, but nothing can ever really prepare you for this role. You can take all the classes, read all the books, and listen to all the wise words of other mothers, but nothing but actually being a mother can make you ready.

I feel so privileged to have been able to take a year off to get to know my beautiful son and see him grow from a newborn baby who depended on me for everything to a gorgeous one-year old who can walk around independently, communicate his needs and wants and understands me (I don't know how mothers in the USA go back to work after 3 months!). I see him absorbing in information all around him everyday. He wants to know and learn about everything. This is what makes me most sad about going back to work. Brayden is at the stage where he is so curious and learning so quickly. It makes me so proud to see every little thing he discovers like how to push a button on a toy or banging two toys together to make noise. I am going to miss spending all day with my little munchkin, singing songs, playing and going out with him everywhere.

I've been trying hard to focus on the positive things about going back to work, like being able to go to the gym at lunch, sitting down and being able to actually enjoy my coffee while it's still hot, and catching up with my great co-workers. We are really lucky to have our families taking care of Brayden when I go back to work. Our parents and my sister-in-law have graciously volunteered to look after Brayden, along with my husband, so I can go back to work full time. I know if I was going to be sending Brayden to a daycare I would feel more anxiety than I do right now about going back to work. I think it will be good for Brayden to get to hang out with his grandparents, auntie, and cousins every week. I've been nervous about how busy I'm going to feel dropping off Brayden in the mornings, working, picking him up after work, coming home, making dinner, making lunches, dealing with bedtime, etc. etc. My husband has been so understanding of my worries and keeps reminding me that he is here to help with this stuff too and not to put so much pressure on myself to do everything. I've decided that once I go back to work and get in the swing of things I am going to get back to going to Bikrams Yoga. It is something I really enjoy doing and I think it will be good for me to have a couple of hours that is all mine each week.

So, to sum it up, I've learned a lot this year. I've learned a lot about myself, my husband, and my child. I never thought I could love my husband more than I did before but I was wrong. The love for your own child is indescribable. I could try to explain it but I would never be able to do it justice. I love being a Mom and a wife. I have always known how important family and friends are in my life and going through an event like having a child is a good reminder of that. So, even though I'd love to push the pause button on life so I could stay at home on mat leave for awhile longer, life continues along and next week I will be starting a new chapter as a working Mom. Wish me luck!

Hello Brayden!

Remember how I was saying in my last post that I was feeling a bit guilty for having my last day of work being August 13th leaving me with 2 weeks until my due date? Well, I don't feel guilty anymore! Brayden Kai Neufeld decided to make his appearance into this world 12 days early on Sunday, August 15, 2010, just two days after my last day of work.

On the day of of Brayden's birth, our day started off normally. We slept in and met up with our friends, Becky and Matt, for a dim sum lunch. We hugged good bye after lunch joking about how it might be the last time they see me with a pregnant belly. After lunch Mike and I took our dog, Keiko, to the doggy beach by Vanier Park and spent the afternoon there relaxing in the sun. At around 4pm I thought I felt a bit of a cramp but I wasn't so sure because it was quite faint so I didn't mention anything to Mike. We had made dinner reservations for that evening at the new Boathouse Restaurant on Kits Beach. It was going to be our last nice, romantic dinner out together before the baby arrived. We decided to head back home at around 4pm to start getting ready to go out to dinner. I was really looking forward to our dinner!

By 5pm we had gotten home, Mike had showered and given Keiko a bath and it was my turn to hop into the shower. By this point I had felt a couple of more 'cramps' and I was starting to think that maybe they were contractions. I decided to mention it to Mike (just in case), but I told him they were happening about 20 mins apart so if they were contractions I was sure we still had lots of time because I'd heard you can be in early labour for up to 20 hrs sometimes. I told him I was going to take a shower and I'd let him know if they still kept happening. Well, they did keep happening while I was showering and by the end of my shower I was pretty confident I was having labour contractions - by this time it was about 5:30pm. I told Mike I still wanted to try to go to the Boathouse for dinner, to which he responded that I was mad! Ha ha. We decided to wait another 45 minutes to see how things progressed before we would cancel the dinner reservations. By 6:15pm my contractions had gotten a lot closer - about 5-10 mins apart and they were starting to get a bit stronger. Mike and I decided at this time that we should cancel our dinner reservations and order in take out instead. We ordered in dinner and had eaten it by 7pm. By this time My contractions had now progressed to 3 mins apart and were lasting for approximately 45 seconds each time. I called my midwife at this point and she asked me a bunch of questions. I was still able to talk through my contractions, although they were hurting quite a bit, so she told me to monitor them for another 1/2 hour to an hour and call her back if they got more intense to the point where I couldn't talk through the contractions, they got closer together, or my water broke. After speaking to my midwife we had called my Dad to come and pick up Keiko to look after her when we had to go to the hospital and we'd packed our hospital bags. Almost immediately after I got off the phone with my midwife my contractions started getting a lot more intense. They remained at 3 mins apart but by 7:30pm I was unable to talk through any of my contractions. At 7:45pm my water broke and Mike called my midwife immediately to tell her this and let her know how strong the contractions were now. My midwife told Mike to get me to the hospital right away and told us she'd meet us there in 10 mins. It was go time!

The contractions were really intense by the time I got to the hospital and lasted for at least a minute each. Mike was really calm and supportive the whole time which is what I really needed. We arrived at the hospital at approximately 8:15pm. When my midwife checked me at the hospital she found that I was already 5 cm dilated so we got a private room right away and everything was set into motion quickly. I was in too much pain to walk up to my private room on the second floor of BC Women's Hospital so they got me a wheelchair and wheeled me up. I asked my midwife if she thought I would have my baby the next morning or if she thought it would take awhile until the afternoon and she told me that I was having this baby that night! I was shocked because most of the births I'd heard about went for hours and hours.

Most of my contractions by this point were in my back and they hurt so much. Back labour is not fun! All I remember thinking is 'holy crap, how much more painful is this going to get?!?!' Mike told my midwife that I had expressed many times that I wanted a drug-free birth. I had asked him to do this when I was in labour and to keep reminding me why I wanted a drug-free birth when I was in too much pain to remember. My midwife suggested I try taking a bath to try and relieve the pain of the contractions. I was up for anything to relieve the pain naturally so I hopped into the huge soaker tub in my room. It felt so nice...but it didn't exactly relieve the pain. My midwife asked me if I wanted to have a water birth in the tub, to which I responded 'no'. I thought to myself 'what kind of hippie do you think I am?' and that there was no way I'd be giving birth to a baby in a bath tub. I wondered what I would be like in labour - would I be very vocal, a screamer, or super quiet - well, I found out that I turn very quiet. I found myself whispering because I was afraid that if I was too loud it would make the pain hurt even more. I asked everyone not to talk to me when I was having a contraction and shushed them if they tried. Mike thought this was pretty funny. I had no idea how long I had been in the tub and just kept finding myself wondering how long I'd have to go through this before the baby was born. I was 10 cm dilated pretty soon after I was sitting in the tub. I asked my midwife if the contractions were going to get worse and she said they probably wouldn't get any more painful. I also really wanted to know how much longer I'd have to be in labour but obviously she couldn't really give me a time. It felt like the contractions never really went away in between. I felt like I had constant contractions in my back that dulled a bit between contractions but would never fully go away. It was tough. I told my midwife a few times that I thought I needed something to help with the pain but she respected my original wish for a drug-free birth and refocused me on working through each contraction. She told me I could try the gas but I couldn't wrap my head around trying to focus through each contraction, trying to steady myself in the tub, while holding the gas mask and breathing in, so I didn't bother trying it. Mike was putting cold towels on my head, massaging my shoulders, and fanning me throughout the labour. He kept encouraging me and telling me that I was doing really well. He was such a great support. When it got close to the point where I was going to have to start pushing my midwife told me that I had to get out of the tub and move to the bed if I didn't want to give birth in the tub. Well, the thought of this was unimagineable. In my mind, there was no way I could get out of the tub and make it all the way over to the bed 10 ft away while going through contractions so I told the midwife that I was going to stay in the tub and have a water birth! My midwife and the nurse were really excited about this because not many women opt for a water birth. Soon after this I started feeling the sensation to push and my midwife guided and coached me expertly. It was such a comfort hearing her coaching and having her focus me on what I had to do. I pushed for what felt like quite awhile and my midwife continued to coach me and tell me how well I was progressing. To be honest, it didn't feel like I was doing anything to move things along when I was pushing and I secretly felt like my midwife was lying to me - but of couse she wasn't. I had heard from many women that the part that really hurts in labour is right before the head comes out when you feel a 'ring of fire' and the head pushes through. I was dreading this part, but to my total amazement I never felt this. I felt nothing when the baby's head came out except relief. It was all so surreal. When the head was out my midwife told me to wait a few seconds because the baby would turn on it's own, at which time I could push again and the shoulders would slide right out. In my head I was thinking 'oh my goodness my baby is going to drown if I don't push right away', but instead I trusted my midwife and did as she said - and of course the baby came out perfectly fine. My midwife put the baby on my chest right away and we checked it out and found that we had just had a baby boy. It was such an indescribable feeling to be holding my baby and I felt the hugest sense of relief to know that I wouldn't feel anymore contractions!

Looking back on that day, I feel really happy about my birth experience. It was such an amazing day and I feel so blessed to have had the experience I had. Mike was absolutely wonderful through my whole pregnancy and labour. I didn't think it was possible to love him any more than I already did, but I was wrong. Now we are enjoying getting to know little Brayden and learning about parenthood.

37 Weeks (Technically Full-Term)

37 Weeks

I am thrilled that I am now 37 weeks along and technically have a full-term baby rolling around in my belly! It's still hard to believe that I have a full on baby in there. I am so curious to find out what Baby Neufeld looks like.

I had a midwife appointment this week and it was a very overwhelming visit for me. It finally hit me at the appointment that I was in my 37th week and so close to meeting Baby Neufeld and being a Mom. I mean of course I knew this before, but this week it finally sunk in and felt so real. We talked about labour, when to call my midwife, and how I was feeling. My ankles have gotten quite swollen over the past couple of weeks and my back has been hurting everyday so my midwife recommended that I stop work sooner than I was planning to. I intended to work until the week before my due date but my midwife recommended that I either work my final day this week or next week. I opted for the end of next week and couldn't help but feel a bit guilty and a tad like a failure because I wasn't able to work as long as I had hoped to. My midwife assured me that working until 38 weeks does not make a failure out of you and also hearing from my acupuncturist and chiropractor that I really needed to stop working soon because it was putting too much strain on my body has convinced me that my midwife is right. I know I have to listen to the experts and take care of my body and the baby first and foremost. And like Mike says "you're 8 months pregnant, and this is no time to be a hero". So, my last day of work will be August 13th...only 5 more working days left! Eeeeeek!

We finished off our baby room this past week and we are so happy with how it turned out. It took a lot of work on both Mike's and my part, moving our computer into our bedroom, building the crib, cleaning, decorating, etc. but it was all worth it. Now all we need is a little bundle of joy to complete this room :)

Surprise Baby Shower

My friend, Kellee, and I, due one week apart

A week and a half ago my friend, Kellee, and I were thrown a surprise baby shower at work by our amazing co-workers. We had no idea they had planned a shower for us that day and were completely surprised when we were told to go to the boardroom for an important meeting regarding a policy change only to find the boardroom decorated with diapers and bows and filled with our smiling colleagues and a delicious potluck feast. My friends, Serena and Jen, planned a few fun baby shower games for us to play and Kellee and I got really generous and thoughtful gifts. We were very happy mommies-to-be :)

Me at 35 1/2 weeks and Kellee at 34 1/2 weeks

The 'guess the kind of chocolate poo' diaper game

Our delicious potluck feast!

My amazing coworkers

35 Weeks Along and Heading in the Right Direction

35 Weeks

So today we had our ultrasound to check the baby's position and it also is the 35 week mark for us. I was feeling a bit nervous today but also really anxious to just know Baby Neufeld's position so we could move on with things. I'd been analyzing every movement of the baby this past week to try and figure out by myself where the baby was. I had a feeling the baby's head was down, his/her back was resting more on my right side with his/her bum being the big round bump I keep feeling just below my lower right rib, and the feet to my left side where I feel most of the more spastic kicks or punches. Guess what - I was right! Baby Neufeld's head is down and the position I thought he/she was in is the way he/she is laying in my belly! Such great news!

The ultrasound technician was really nice and she was very careful not to show me any pictures of the private areas of the baby so that Baby Neufeld's gender would remain a surprise. I got to see the kidneys, bladder, spine, heart, feet and hands, as well as details of the face like the lips and nose. Everything looked so much more detailed and much bigger in this ultrasound compared to the one I had at 18 weeks. The technician told me that Baby Neufeld weighs approximately 5lbs right now, which she said is right on track with being 35 weeks along, and all of his/her measurements match my due date so all looks well.

I am a very happy Momma today!

8 Months Along

So here we are at the 8 month mark! It's hard to believe that Baby Neufeld is due in 5 weeks!

So what's been going on since my last post....quite a bit actually...

Mike's Mom and my sister-in-law threw Baby Neufeld and I a lovely baby shower this month and we were so blessed with the company of such supportive and loving women and very generous gifts. We have washed all the clothes, blankets, sheets, towels, etc. now and we've got them all ready for Baby Neufeld to use.

Last week I had a midwife appointment and got to hear the baby's heartbeat again. That sound really never gets old. It's really just music to my ears. My midwife measured my belly and as it should be, she said it corresponds exactly to how far along I am in weeks. My midwife felt for the baby's position (head down or up) and said she wasn't able to determine for sure which way the baby was facing (she said she was 50-50) so she gave me the option of either going for an ultrasound to determine the baby's position or to come back in a couple of weeks to get her to try and feel the baby's position again. I opted for the ultrasound because I know that if the baby is breech the sooner you try to turn it, the higher the rate of success. My midwife said that 80% of babies are head-down at 35 weeks and by 38 weeks 95% are head-down, so Baby Neufeld still has some time. She also said that if the baby is breech that we will try and turn him/her through various methods, one of which is having an obstetrician physically try and turn the baby from the outside. That sounds pretty uncomfortable to me so I'd like that to be a last resort if possible. Apparently at 35 weeks most babies who are already head-down will stay that way, but 15% of babies who are not yet head down will turn before labour.

I talked to my acupuncturist (who is also a doula) about it and she told me that moxibustion before 35-36 weeks is 90% effective in turning a breech baby and she gave me some moxibustion sticks to use if my ultrasound determines that the baby is breech. Moxibustion is a traditional Chinese medicine technique which involves burning mugwort (or moxa stick that looks kind of like a cigar), and holding it close to an acupuncture point on the pinky toe in order heat it up and stimulate bloodflow and baby's movements in pregnant women. I would have to do the treatment twice a day for ten days. My acupuncturist also said there are all sorts of acupuncture treatments she can do to help turn a breech baby as well and the sooner I do these, the better the results.

My ultrasound appointment is on Friday, July 23rd and I am really anxious to find out Baby Neufeld's position. I'm praying for Baby Neufeld to be head down, but if he/she isn't yet head down, I'm praying that with some encouragement and perhaps some moxibustion and acupuncture, he/she will move head down on his/her own. I've been completely analyzing every single kick and movement from Baby Neufeld since my midwife appointment to try and determine which way Baby Neufeld is sitting. I'm feeling all of the movements at the top of my stomach and in the upper left. I assumed that this was from the bum and feet of the baby, but I guess it could also be from the head and arms. It's hard to know!

The people I've talked to about all of this have all told me that it is great that my midwife is being so thorough and making sure she knows the baby's position instead of guessing. I've heard horror stories of women having been told their babies are head-down only to find out during labour that they actually are not and then having to have an emergency c-section. Yikes!

I'll keep you posted...

Hello Summer!

I'm in my 33rd week of pregnancy now and my belly is really starting to get big. I've had so many people comment on how much my belly has grown in the past few weeks. Apparently this is the time when Baby Neufeld is packing on the chub so he/she doesn't come out looking scrawny.

The summer has decided to peek it's head around the corner and it's starting to get HOT! I think a trip to Kits pool this weekend may be in order to cool down. Just this week I've noticed that my feet and fingers are starting to swell sometimes (mostly when I'm walking) and my back is starting to ache from supporting my growing belly. I guess these are the fun 3rd trimester things that come with pregnancy. I love that it's summer time though and I can wear non-constricting summer dresses and sandals. I've taken my rings off my fingers so they don't get stuck on my stubby fingers when they swell and I've booked myself a prenatal massage for the weekend to help with the back aches so I think I'm in pretty good shape for now.

Baby Neufeld is squirming around a lot these days and I'm loving every minute of it. It's so neat to see my belly moving and knowing that it's our baby inside doing that. Although my belly is making everything I do a little more awkward these days, I'm still really enjoying being pregnant and I am so looking forward to meeting our little rascal in the next couple of months.

7 Months and Getting Excited!

7 Months Along

Infant care class. Check. Prenatal class. Check. Breast feeding class. Check. Dresser/change table. Check. Rocker/glider. Check. Bassinet. Check. Crib. Check. Crib mattress. Check. Crib bedding. Check. We are well on our way to getting prepared for Baby Neufeld's arrival! Mike has repainted the baby room with a fresh coat of paint and we've built some of the baby's furniture. Our crib should be coming into the store for us to pick up in a week or so and then it's time to set up the baby's room and get it looking good.

Baby Neufeld is doing a lot of rolling and stretching in my tummy and often has hiccups. At my last midwife appointment my midwife checked and said the baby is head down right now with his/her feet to my right side. That explains the constant kicking at the bottom of my right rib cage. She said the baby can still roll around quite a bit in my tummy but it's a good sign that the head is down right now. At my last midwife visit I had to schedule the remainder of my midwife appointments until the birth. My next appointment is July 14th, then after that I have an appointment 3 weeks later, then 2 weeks later, then weekly until Baby Neufeld arrives. That means I have only 4 more appointments until my due date!

Prenatal Course

Today Mike and I went to our Prenatal in a Day course at BC Women's Hospital. We were both looking forward to learning about the labour and delivery but we weren't really looking forward to spending a whole sunny Sunday in a hospital classroom. Much to our surprise the course was extremely informative and well worth it! The prenatal course at BC Women's also includes a free 2-hour breastfeeding course that we are going to be taking next week. Bonus!

There were 10 couples in our prenatal course - most in their third trimester. Our instructor was extremely knowledgeable. The course went over the stages of labour, what to expect in each stage, different ways to cope with the pain in each stage of labour, how to recognize different stages of labour, when to call your medical practitioner, what to pack in your overnight bag, relaxation techniques, breathing techniques, choice of drugs during labour, c-sections, the use of forceps and vacuums, inductions, different delivery positions, and much more. We especially enjoyed the tour of the hospital and the rooms so we'll know where to go when Baby Neufeld decides to make an appearance into the world. We also really liked the way our instructor emphasized how labour is about teamwork between the mother and father and that the positions and drugs or lack thereof that a mother chooses to use during her labour is a personal choice. She spent a lot of time demonstrating and having us practice different techniques we can use together during labour to help ease the pain and get through each stage of labour. It really made Mike and I really understand that although I will be the one in labour, his support, encouragement, and help with relaxation exercises is so important.

This course definitely alleviated some of fears of the unknown and made us much more aware of what we could expect to happen during our labour and delivery. We watched a few birth videos, which to our surprise, made us quite emotional. We feel a lot more prepared for what will happen when Baby Neufeld decides that it's time to come out. All in all, we are very happy that we took this course together and would definitely recommend it to anyone.

6 Months Along

6 months

I am just over 6 months along now which means I have 3 months to go! I am feeling great - pretty much normal, just with a big belly.

This past weekend we spent 4 days in Oroville and I did my first little bit of shopping for Baby Neufeld. I can't believe how cheap things are in the United States! I got a really cute diaper bag, some onesies, a few sleepers, some baby socks, hats, receiving cloths, wash cloths, a baby carrier, a nursing pillow, and a baby bath. I could have spent so much money on baby stuff but I was really good and only bought the things I thought we would need right away when the baby arrived. We still have a lot of things to get including all the bedding, nursery decor, furniture and big stuff like stroller and car seats but we're on our way!

Infant Care Class

This weekend we spent an afternoon in an Infant Care Class that I signed us up for through BC Women’s Hospital. The class was held at Children’s Hospital and since our friends Becca and Shayne are expecting their first baby a month before us, they signed up for the same course too.

There were seven couples including ourselves in the course and we each were provided with a baby doll, bath tub, receiving cloths, wash cloths, cloth and disposable diapers, etc. to practice with. The instructor covered topics such as what to expect your baby to look like when he/she first comes out, we learned about the two fontanels (soft spots) on a baby’s head, at what age a baby tends to cry the most, how to change diapers, and things to expect in a developing baby from 0-6 months (like cradle cap and little white dots on their face, etc). The instructor went over bathing, holding, and soothing babies, as well as how to properly put a baby in a car seat, the kinds of things to look for in a sick child, how you should try to portion out your day for the 1^st six months and a WHOLE LOT more.

Since Mike and I will be brand new at this, we found it very useful and informative. The course basically covered any topic I’d been thinking or wondering about. I would highly recommend it to all new parents.

Shopping for Baby

We just rode over the 24 week mark in our baby journey. We're starting to research and shop for baby stuff like strollers, carriers, cribs, bedding, dressers, change tables, rockers/gliders, and nursery decor. There are so many options out there that to say it's overwhelming is an understatement! We haven't found out the gender of Baby Neufeld so we're going with neutral colours for everything.

We've decided that we want the stroller travel system with the carrier that fits into the stroller and is also a car seat because we've had so many people recommend it and it just seems really practical to us. We've gone to look at and test out strollers and we really like the Graco line because the prices are good and they feel sturdy, yet not bulky. They also fold down really easily and they aren't too heavy.

As far as cribs go, we like the idea of getting a convertible crib which will turn into a day bed and eventually a double bed down the road if you buy the bed frame. We also like the idea of getting a crib with a drawer at the bottom so we can have that extra storage space. We've heard of all the crib recalls that have happened over the past few years and it seems that they are mostly due to the drop side cribs. They don't even sell those anymore so I think most of the cribs for sale now are pretty safe...hopefully.

Our baby room is a good size but it's not huge, so we've decided that we're going to buy a dresser/change table combination to save space. We've seen quite a few out there but they are not cheap!

One of the things I really want is a rocker/glider because I know I will be spending many nights waking up to nurse and rock our baby throughout the night. I don't really know what to look for in a 'good' rocker/glider, but I figure as long as it's comfortable and feels sturdy, it'll probably do the trick, right?

We've looked at all sorts of bedding patterns and nursery decor for our baby's nursery and wow, where do you start?!?!? I know baby pads are bad and we might not even actually use the crib quilt that we buy because it may be too bulky and dangerous to put in the crib with the baby, but we'll get them anyway just to use for looks.

We are signed up for an infant care class next week which is supposed to teach us what to do with our baby once we leave the hospital. It sounds like a great course to me since we're new at this. The course is also supposed to help you figure out what you 'need' to buy before you have your baby so hopefully that will help us with our shopping. If anyone has any suggestions, good places to look at, or things to look for in any of the items I've talked about please let us know. Any bit of advice would be appreciated :)

22 Weeks

22 weeks - just over 5 months along

I am in my 22nd week of pregnancy and feeling great. All the icky feelings from the first trimester are long gone and all the not so great things I've read about that happen in the 3rd trimester have not yet started. My baby bump is showing enough now so that people know that I'm pregnant and not just eating too much pizza! Ha ha. The baby is kicking all the time making me very happy and Mike got to feel the baby's kicks for the first time last week. We are starting to clear out our computer room right now so we can start making it into our baby room. We have a lot to look forward to and are enjoying every minute of it.

Half Way To Baby!

Today I am officially 20 weeks along which means we are half way there! In a way it feels like I can’t believe we’re already at this point, but at the same time it also feels like such a long time ago that we found out we were pregnant. The days of nausea and keeping our pregnancy a secret from the world feel like ages ago, but we’re half way there? Really? It’s been less than two months since we were able to share our pregnancy with our friends and really only about a month or so (depending on how well you know me) since I started actually showing. On the other hand I feel like I had been looking forward to our ultrasound, which we had last week, for a very long time and I feel like I’ve been eagerly anticipating feeling our baby move in my tummy for some time.

It’s starting to feel very real now. The first few months felt very surreal and it’s funny to say, but at times, I almost forgot I was pregnant. Now, there’s no forgetting. I’ve been researching strollers, car seats, cribs, gliders, etc. and we’ve been planning out how we’re going to organize and decorate the baby’s room. I think Mike actually being able to see my tummy growing is making it very real for him. He is still a bit weirded out by something moving in my tummy but he’s totally into the planning and preparing for our baby.

I am so excited to see how the next half of my pregnancy unfolds. I think it will go by quickly now that we are starting to get into the planning stage. We can now start choosing and shopping for baby stuff. We are so fortunate to have amazing families who have graciously offered to buy us some of our essential items. A lot of people have told us that shopping for the baby in the United States will be a lot cheaper, and since the Canadian dollar is doing so well right now our money will go even farther. We’re going to Oroville to our friends, Brad and Amy’s, cottage in May and we plan to do a bit of shopping for the baby while we’re in the US. The weather is starting to get better and the days getting longer which means I can soon pack away the maternity pants and start wearing cute dresses and sandals (my favourite things to wear!). Spring also means a lot of weekend getaways for us to look forward to which will make the time go by quickly. Before we know it, it will be summer time in Kitsilano and so close to baby time!

Midwifery

About a month and a half ago my acupuncturist suggested I look into midwifery care instead of doctor care for my pregnancy and the birth of our baby because she felt it was in line with my views and ideals. I have friends who have used midwives and raved about the care they got. I wasn't sure about straying from the care of a doctor because I, like most people, am so used to going to a doctor for care of my body. Also, many people, like myself, conjure up an image of a wise gray-haired lady delivering a baby by your bedside at home when they think of a midwife. That is a total misconception. My family doctor does not deliver babies so she would have had to refer me to another doctor who I'd never met before for my second and third trimester prenatal care. Well, I did some research and really thought about it and decided that I did want to get a midwife instead of a doctor.

It turns out that just 'getting' a midwife is not that easy. There are only 125 registered midwives in BC and they get booked up quickly. My acupuncturist, who I really trust, recommended Terry-Lyn at Pacific Midwifery Practice to me and even phoned them ahead of time to try and get me a spot. When I phoned them, I found out that they were full for August deliveries and were actually even taking wait list patients for October! Yikes! I was disappointed and I mentioned that my acupuncturist had phoned a few days earlier. Pacific Midwifery was really nice and said that they would check with Terry-Lyn to make sure she couldn't fit me in and call me back the next day. I was sure they wouldn't call me back, but the next day I got a call from Pacific Midwifery and it turns out my acupuncturist also sent Terry-Lyn an email about me and Terry-Lyn said she'd have a spot for me. Yay! I was so happy!

So, today was my first visit with Terry-Lyn at Pacific Midwifery. The moment I walked in through the doors of the clinic I felt at ease. They ask you to remove your shoes and put slippers on while you're there and they offer you tea or water. Nice! They have a lending library of great prenatal books that you can borrow one visit and return at your next visit. The rooms are nice and comfy. During my visit I sat on a couch-bed in what felt like a nice inviting bedroom. Every midwife appointment is 45 minutes long so I get tons of time to ask any questions I have. Terry-Lyn went through a lot of useful information for me and she was so wonderful. I am having a hospital birth at BC Womens and Terry-Lyn said over 70% of her births are hospital births; most people do not choose homebirths. She said there is always an obstetrician at the hospital and that if at any time there are complications they will not hesitate to get obstetrical help. She said midwives and obstetricians have a teamwork relationship. When I go into labor I call Terry-Lyn and she comes over to assess things. She said we will make a decision collectively as to when it is time to go to the hospital so that I don't go to the hospital and get sent home like I've heard has happened to so many people. For 6 weeks postpartum Terry-Lyn will come to my home to make sure the baby and I are doing well and help me with any breastfeeding or postpartum issues.

I feel totally happy about my decision to go with a midwife and I feel that I will get excellent care with Pacific Midwifery. I am really looking forward to this journey!

Detailed Ultrasound

Full Baby - head to the left, curled up body; heart beat measuring 150 bpm

Face - a straight-on view of the face, forehead is the larger dark spot on the left, two eyes to the right; little hand beside the head, close to the top of picture; ribs to the right of the picture

Footprint - toes to the left, heel to the right

Spine - the baby's spine while he/she curled up in fetal position

Dancing Baby

So, I thought I felt the baby moving last week but I wasn't sure. Most people have told me it feels like little bubbles, a flutter, or something boiling. Some things I've read say that it almost feels like gas, but not really. I was trying so hard to focus on my belly, trying to will our little munchkin to start dancing, kick or punch me. Then, one morning I felt a little pulse-like feeling. It did not feel like gas at all (as if you couldn't tell the difference between something moving in your tummy and gas anyway!). It felt like a quick heart beat, but stronger - almost like a quick muscle spasm. It felt weird and I didn't think it was the baby moving at first. Later on that day I felt it again and my first instinct was to think that something was wrong. The next day I felt something similar too and it made me start thinking that it was possibly our little baby moving in my belly! I've felt what I think is the baby moving once every day or two now. Yesterday I felt something that was quite a bit more like something actually 'moving' in my belly and not so much just kicking me. Now I'm pretty positive it is our little love bug dancing around in there. What an amazing feeling!

The Baby Bump

19 weeks - belly getting rounder


15 weeks - starting to look a bit chubby

4 weeks - when we found out we were expecting

Spilling the Beans

This is how my friend, Kellee, and I told our co-workers we are having babies! We baked cupcakes with little baby bottles on them and passed them out. Our co-workers' reactions were great :)

We're having a baby!

Welcome to our blog and thank-you for sharing this journey with us. We are so excited to announce that we are expecting our first baby! Baby Neufeld is due on August 27, 2010.

Baby Neufeld at 8 1/2 weeks - 2.03 cm long