I had found this quite useful with Emma and will be listening out for Will's cries using this method again.
Dunstan Baby language
Showing posts with label Baby. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Baby. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Sunday, April 18, 2010
2 days left but does he know it?
Well, it's Sunday morning and theoretically, baby is due in 2 days but does he know it?!
On Thursday I did my last Preggie-Pilates class and my trainer J. said she thought the baby would come over the week-end now that my Mum was going to be here. I confirmed that indeed that would be the best time since Steph and Emma and my Mum would all be around, plus the sun was due to be coming out finally!
On Friday, I had my last Shiatsu session for a while, and M. my wonderful practioner said she had a sensed the baby was ready and would be coming within 24-48hours. Yay! Indeed, the week-end was a good time, I agreed. Why not after a good night's sleep and filling brunch?
Yesterday was Saturday and apart from baby seeming unusually quiet and not moving much I could not feel anything happening at all.
We walked around the area so as to familiarize my Mum with the surroundings. We walked down to our favorite market and had coffee, bread & jam and scrambled eggs with parmesan, dried tomatoes and ham in the sun.
We played in the sand-pit with Emma and "ate" her preparations and "drank" her coffee.
We had a yummy mixed salad for lunch and a nice nap afterwards.
I printed out the address labels of family and friends so they are ready to be stuck on to envelopes when we have Gerburtskarten to send off.
I gave my Mum a map of the area and have explained to her how the coffee machine and TV work.
Late afternoon, we went to town and had cakes and tea at Café Diglas and then saw an entertaining movie before coming home.
We skipped dinner and after a brief chat, beer & nuts for some and yogurt and water for me, we went to bed for a read and a good night's sleep... perhaps our last in a little while?
Well, now it's Sunday morning and Emma is in her Gogo's bed being read to (the Gruffalo is a current favorite), Steph is under the shower and I am typing away while sipping my Vata and waiting for the oats to cook.
Baby is due in two days, but does he know it?
On Thursday I did my last Preggie-Pilates class and my trainer J. said she thought the baby would come over the week-end now that my Mum was going to be here. I confirmed that indeed that would be the best time since Steph and Emma and my Mum would all be around, plus the sun was due to be coming out finally!
On Friday, I had my last Shiatsu session for a while, and M. my wonderful practioner said she had a sensed the baby was ready and would be coming within 24-48hours. Yay! Indeed, the week-end was a good time, I agreed. Why not after a good night's sleep and filling brunch?
Yesterday was Saturday and apart from baby seeming unusually quiet and not moving much I could not feel anything happening at all.
We walked around the area so as to familiarize my Mum with the surroundings. We walked down to our favorite market and had coffee, bread & jam and scrambled eggs with parmesan, dried tomatoes and ham in the sun.
We played in the sand-pit with Emma and "ate" her preparations and "drank" her coffee.
We had a yummy mixed salad for lunch and a nice nap afterwards.
I printed out the address labels of family and friends so they are ready to be stuck on to envelopes when we have Gerburtskarten to send off.
I gave my Mum a map of the area and have explained to her how the coffee machine and TV work.
Late afternoon, we went to town and had cakes and tea at Café Diglas and then saw an entertaining movie before coming home.
We skipped dinner and after a brief chat, beer & nuts for some and yogurt and water for me, we went to bed for a read and a good night's sleep... perhaps our last in a little while?
Well, now it's Sunday morning and Emma is in her Gogo's bed being read to (the Gruffalo is a current favorite), Steph is under the shower and I am typing away while sipping my Vata and waiting for the oats to cook.
Baby is due in two days, but does he know it?
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Baby/preggie update week 28
So on Thursday I had my routine checkup at my gynae's and got my glucose test results and blood test results.
In a nutshell:
As for the baby, he now measures 35cm (!!) and weighs 1284gr. (Seems big to me!) According to the measurements, the calculated EDD (estimated delivery date) reads out to be April 14th-16th confirming my feeling (or hope!) that he's coming slightly before April 20th. Although, according to the gynae, these measurements vary each time and don't really change the EDD calculated at the beginning of the pregnancy.
I think Emma's EDD was also somewhere between July 27th-August 4th according to the various body measurements (see Emma's data on week 30 and of week 32)...
I'm still not entirely sure at which location to give birth (hesitating in between two) so I've decided to go visit the delivery rooms in each hospital again next week and hope my gut will have strong feelings about one place rather than another.
Also, I am hugely reassured after discussing post-term delivery with my gynae; one of the girls who does preggie pilates with me is over 10 days overdue and they are still waiting... I don't know how she does it. I would be really worried. Even with the checks every three days. In Switzerland that's a no-no. And in my book that's definitely a no-no. Very happily, my gynae is also against leaving the baby in more than 3 days post-term - Pheew!!!
Mind you, a couple of second time Mums have told me their second delivery was so quick they barely had time to get to the maternity or settle into the delivery room! I could live with that - as long as Steph is around and Emma is safely at kindergarden and it's not all happening at 4am.
In a nutshell:
- I don't have gestational diabetes
- I am anemic
- everything else is fine; in fact even my low lying placenta seems to have moved up but we'll still go for the final confirmation on that one during week 34
- unfortunately, no cool baby pics this time.
As for the baby, he now measures 35cm (!!) and weighs 1284gr. (Seems big to me!) According to the measurements, the calculated EDD (estimated delivery date) reads out to be April 14th-16th confirming my feeling (or hope!) that he's coming slightly before April 20th. Although, according to the gynae, these measurements vary each time and don't really change the EDD calculated at the beginning of the pregnancy.
I think Emma's EDD was also somewhere between July 27th-August 4th according to the various body measurements (see Emma's data on week 30 and of week 32)...
I'm still not entirely sure at which location to give birth (hesitating in between two) so I've decided to go visit the delivery rooms in each hospital again next week and hope my gut will have strong feelings about one place rather than another.
Also, I am hugely reassured after discussing post-term delivery with my gynae; one of the girls who does preggie pilates with me is over 10 days overdue and they are still waiting... I don't know how she does it. I would be really worried. Even with the checks every three days. In Switzerland that's a no-no. And in my book that's definitely a no-no. Very happily, my gynae is also against leaving the baby in more than 3 days post-term - Pheew!!!
Mind you, a couple of second time Mums have told me their second delivery was so quick they barely had time to get to the maternity or settle into the delivery room! I could live with that - as long as Steph is around and Emma is safely at kindergarden and it's not all happening at 4am.
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Too much medicine robbed the magic
Here's a slightly more "medical" update on my previous post It's a boy!!!
At week 21, our little boy is estimated to measure about 23cm and weigh about 375gr. The EDD (estimated delivery date) remains the same and all that was measured was within the normal ranges.
The heart activity and rhythm, veins, lungs, stomach, cord, fetal movements and amniotic liquid are all "normal". My placenta is a little low (actually my report says "There is placenta previa, we advise to check the placental position at 34 weeks" ) but hopefully this will correct itself by the third trimester and I will not have to have a C-section. (I really, really do not want a C-section! Enough ops and scars thank-you! ) On the up side, they also typed "IUGR and preeclampsia are very unlikely to occur in this pregnancy." Well that's a relief!
All ok, right? But you know what? The fact is that I read all of this -except the placenta previa bit which I asked about while we were there- on our report once we got home. Although we had been looking forward to the organ screening, we walked out of the examination feeling really let down and actually worried. Nothing at all like the elation we felt each time we went to "the movies" as we used to call the monthly ultra-sound checks we had in Izmir when we "visited" Emma.
I have heard women say they wanted to give birth at home because they felt the medical environment and/or medical professionals overshadowed the natural and or human aspect of giving birth. While I am NOT considering having the baby at home (as far as I am concerned, it would be an unnecessary risk) I have to say that I do feel a little robbed of the magic by the medical and administrative requirements and modus operandi this time around. And this is despite the fact that there are no medical grounds for specific medical treatment or scrutiny.
In Turkey while pregnant with Emma we were a lot more relaxed and although examinations were thorough we somehow had more fun and looked at the "human" aspect of the pregnancy and baby more (like whose nose she might have inherited and how tall she would be). Our Obgyn would totally participate in this and indeed lead the way. Never were we asked to sign papers such as the ones we have had to sign here telling us about limited accuracy of medical tests or the risks of malformation. And this is despite the fact that in Turkey I was considered to be an old woman pregnant for the first time at the age of 33!
Here, prior to examinations we are asked to sign forms attesting our understanding that the examination/ultra-sound cannot guarantee 100% accuracy and telling us that approximately 5% of all pregnancies result in babies with undetected issues. Well, that really puts you in an optimistic and relaxed mood before seeing your baby doesn't it?
On one occasion, I have felt like we were present during the ultra-sound merely because we had to be, with the baby being inside me and all... On Monday, while carrying out the organ screening the doctor didn't systematically address us with explanations about what he was measuring or checking but rather was focused on dictating the data to his assistant who was typing it all up. I really felt nervous when he scrolled over the heart in total silence... breaking it only to dictate abbreviations followed by numbers until I asked: Is everything ok? and we were finally told "everything appears to be normal".
Then after we had paid and received our report he shook our hands and said "Enjoy your pregnancy" - yeah...I really felt like he had helped contribute to that!
Today I had an appointment with my Obgyn and thankfully she was reassuring telling my more about placenta previa (apparently present in about 5% of pregnancies at the time of delivery) and encouraging me not to worry about it saying it would probably move up as the baby and uterus grow upwards. We actually had a proper conversation. Well, that's more like it.
At week 21, our little boy is estimated to measure about 23cm and weigh about 375gr. The EDD (estimated delivery date) remains the same and all that was measured was within the normal ranges.
The heart activity and rhythm, veins, lungs, stomach, cord, fetal movements and amniotic liquid are all "normal". My placenta is a little low (actually my report says "There is placenta previa, we advise to check the placental position at 34 weeks" ) but hopefully this will correct itself by the third trimester and I will not have to have a C-section. (I really, really do not want a C-section! Enough ops and scars thank-you! ) On the up side, they also typed "IUGR and preeclampsia are very unlikely to occur in this pregnancy." Well that's a relief!
All ok, right? But you know what? The fact is that I read all of this -except the placenta previa bit which I asked about while we were there- on our report once we got home. Although we had been looking forward to the organ screening, we walked out of the examination feeling really let down and actually worried. Nothing at all like the elation we felt each time we went to "the movies" as we used to call the monthly ultra-sound checks we had in Izmir when we "visited" Emma.
I have heard women say they wanted to give birth at home because they felt the medical environment and/or medical professionals overshadowed the natural and or human aspect of giving birth. While I am NOT considering having the baby at home (as far as I am concerned, it would be an unnecessary risk) I have to say that I do feel a little robbed of the magic by the medical and administrative requirements and modus operandi this time around. And this is despite the fact that there are no medical grounds for specific medical treatment or scrutiny.
In Turkey while pregnant with Emma we were a lot more relaxed and although examinations were thorough we somehow had more fun and looked at the "human" aspect of the pregnancy and baby more (like whose nose she might have inherited and how tall she would be). Our Obgyn would totally participate in this and indeed lead the way. Never were we asked to sign papers such as the ones we have had to sign here telling us about limited accuracy of medical tests or the risks of malformation. And this is despite the fact that in Turkey I was considered to be an old woman pregnant for the first time at the age of 33!
Here, prior to examinations we are asked to sign forms attesting our understanding that the examination/ultra-sound cannot guarantee 100% accuracy and telling us that approximately 5% of all pregnancies result in babies with undetected issues. Well, that really puts you in an optimistic and relaxed mood before seeing your baby doesn't it?
On one occasion, I have felt like we were present during the ultra-sound merely because we had to be, with the baby being inside me and all... On Monday, while carrying out the organ screening the doctor didn't systematically address us with explanations about what he was measuring or checking but rather was focused on dictating the data to his assistant who was typing it all up. I really felt nervous when he scrolled over the heart in total silence... breaking it only to dictate abbreviations followed by numbers until I asked: Is everything ok? and we were finally told "everything appears to be normal".
Then after we had paid and received our report he shook our hands and said "Enjoy your pregnancy" - yeah...I really felt like he had helped contribute to that!
Today I had an appointment with my Obgyn and thankfully she was reassuring telling my more about placenta previa (apparently present in about 5% of pregnancies at the time of delivery) and encouraging me not to worry about it saying it would probably move up as the baby and uterus grow upwards. We actually had a proper conversation. Well, that's more like it.
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
It's a Boy!!!
It is a boy.
Lately, quite a few mothers have told me that they too thought their second was going to be a boy but ended up being wrong. In fact my father was certain my sister was going to be a boy... Must ask my mother what she felt. Although I was right about Emma being a girl (despite all of my Turkish entourage telling me that the size and shape of my belly and the fact that "my beauty was intact" * meant it was going to be boy for sure), this got me thinking; I think I would have felt quite shaken had the doctor's told me it was a girl all along. Not disappointed, no, just shaken. I think I would not have felt able to trust my instincts about this pregnancy anymore.
Anyway, girl or boy all the same to me, as long as it is healthy and happy and the pregnancy and delivery go well.
Lately, quite a few mothers have told me that they too thought their second was going to be a boy but ended up being wrong. In fact my father was certain my sister was going to be a boy... Must ask my mother what she felt. Although I was right about Emma being a girl (despite all of my Turkish entourage telling me that the size and shape of my belly and the fact that "my beauty was intact" * meant it was going to be boy for sure), this got me thinking; I think I would have felt quite shaken had the doctor's told me it was a girl all along. Not disappointed, no, just shaken. I think I would not have felt able to trust my instincts about this pregnancy anymore.
Anyway, girl or boy all the same to me, as long as it is healthy and happy and the pregnancy and delivery go well.
* Gender myths:
There is a saying in some cultures, whereby a baby girl "borrows" the mother's beauty during pregnancy. So basically, if your hair is greasy, you come out in acne and look your absolute worst in pregnancy you are thought to have a girl. If, on the contrary, you are glowing and beautiful then you are said to be pregnant with a boy. In my experience this is not true but a couple of Mums who have daughters have told me it worked for them.
Also, I have been told that Mothers of "sturdy" girls always had a boy afterwards, whereas those who had dainty little girls then went on to have another girl. This seems to prove true in my case and in quite a few I know of. But what about the other way around? If you have a boy first?
And here he is, our little boy of 21 weeks in utero for whom we still need to find a name:
Any suggestions for a name?
Does he look like Emma did at 30 weeks ? or like Emma looked at 23 weeks?
There is a saying in some cultures, whereby a baby girl "borrows" the mother's beauty during pregnancy. So basically, if your hair is greasy, you come out in acne and look your absolute worst in pregnancy you are thought to have a girl. If, on the contrary, you are glowing and beautiful then you are said to be pregnant with a boy. In my experience this is not true but a couple of Mums who have daughters have told me it worked for them.
Also, I have been told that Mothers of "sturdy" girls always had a boy afterwards, whereas those who had dainty little girls then went on to have another girl. This seems to prove true in my case and in quite a few I know of. But what about the other way around? If you have a boy first?
And here he is, our little boy of 21 weeks in utero for whom we still need to find a name:
Any suggestions for a name?
Does he look like Emma did at 30 weeks ? or like Emma looked at 23 weeks?
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
12 week ultrasound and combined test
This week is an important one for us. We've just ticked off the 12th week of pregnancy (yay! yay! yay!) which marks the end of the proverbial three months or first trimester during which the risks of, well, issues are the highest. Also, hopefully, the end of "morning" sickness (yay! yay! YAY!!!!).
It is also in between week 11 and 14 that you can do the so-called "combined test" (a blood test and a very complete ultrasound which enables us to thoroughly check the baby for risks of chromosomal abnormalities without being invasive).
And so we did.
As I write, we know that our baby has a nasal bone (70% of Down Syndrome babies don't) as well as 10 fingers and toes, a bladder and liver, a stomach and a brain and spine that look just as they should. His (or her) heart beat was 167 per minute (fast is normal) and the arteries and blood flow were all fine. The little one measures 7cm and jumped for us which made me laugh and recall that Emma had done that too.
Here are some of the pics from this morning's ultrasound:
don't these look like Christmas stockings?
head, arms and hands from above
feet, legs and head (or bum?)
frontal view of head (moving) arms and crossed legs
Well, it does make things more real. And in a way, easier.
I keep marveling at how I cannot remember being worried in the slightest while pregnant with Emma. Carefree and confident is probably how I felt most of the time, especially once I knew we had a good Obgyn in Izmir and in Geneva, and simply happy to be pregnant.
This time around (since week 6) I have found it much harder and felt like it's actually something that needs dealing with (as opposed to a time to be enjoyed).
It's been hard not to make idiotic and superstitious parallels; I was happily pregnant with Emma, eating heartily and feeling great (until the last trimester anyway) = Emma is a happy, healthy, beautiful girl with a healthy appetite for food and life. Is this little one going to be a skinny, pale picky eater with a sulky mood? Oh, noooooo!
Although, according to hubs, my moods are much more even and rational this time (indeed, no hysterical laughter or mystery tears so far means he's finding it easier this time around) my lack of interest in food due to morning sickness and low blood pressure have made me feel weak and tired and really quite awful some of the time. Not something you remember with a smile. But oh! how I wish I could remember this pregnancy as happily as I do the previous one!
The good news is, there are still 6 months ahead and so, who knows, I might end up loving this pregnancy too.
The blood test results (the other part of the combined test) are due in this afternoon and I'm also getting my TSH levels checked again before seeing our Obgyn on Thursday for the 12 week check.
It is also in between week 11 and 14 that you can do the so-called "combined test" (a blood test and a very complete ultrasound which enables us to thoroughly check the baby for risks of chromosomal abnormalities without being invasive).
And so we did.
As I write, we know that our baby has a nasal bone (70% of Down Syndrome babies don't) as well as 10 fingers and toes, a bladder and liver, a stomach and a brain and spine that look just as they should. His (or her) heart beat was 167 per minute (fast is normal) and the arteries and blood flow were all fine. The little one measures 7cm and jumped for us which made me laugh and recall that Emma had done that too.
Here are some of the pics from this morning's ultrasound:
don't these look like Christmas stockings?
head, arms and hands from above
feet, legs and head (or bum?)
frontal view of head (moving) arms and crossed legs
Well, it does make things more real. And in a way, easier.
I keep marveling at how I cannot remember being worried in the slightest while pregnant with Emma. Carefree and confident is probably how I felt most of the time, especially once I knew we had a good Obgyn in Izmir and in Geneva, and simply happy to be pregnant.
This time around (since week 6) I have found it much harder and felt like it's actually something that needs dealing with (as opposed to a time to be enjoyed).
It's been hard not to make idiotic and superstitious parallels; I was happily pregnant with Emma, eating heartily and feeling great (until the last trimester anyway) = Emma is a happy, healthy, beautiful girl with a healthy appetite for food and life. Is this little one going to be a skinny, pale picky eater with a sulky mood? Oh, noooooo!
Although, according to hubs, my moods are much more even and rational this time (indeed, no hysterical laughter or mystery tears so far means he's finding it easier this time around) my lack of interest in food due to morning sickness and low blood pressure have made me feel weak and tired and really quite awful some of the time. Not something you remember with a smile. But oh! how I wish I could remember this pregnancy as happily as I do the previous one!
The good news is, there are still 6 months ahead and so, who knows, I might end up loving this pregnancy too.
The blood test results (the other part of the combined test) are due in this afternoon and I'm also getting my TSH levels checked again before seeing our Obgyn on Thursday for the 12 week check.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Welcome Sasha
Emma's third cousin was born on July 11th at 7h43am in Singapore.
He is reported to be healthy and handsome. Stats are: 3,030kg and 50cm
His Mummy said it was the easiest of her three births! Proving that it doesn't necessarily get harder with age - or maybe to him being the first boy?
Below a pic of Sasha's sisters (Emma's older cousins) Tara (2004) and Lana (2006)
His Mummy said it was the easiest of her three births! Proving that it doesn't necessarily get harder with age - or maybe to him being the first boy?
Below a pic of Sasha's sisters (Emma's older cousins) Tara (2004) and Lana (2006)
Congrats to his Mum, Dad, Sisters and Grand-parents!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
12 month check-up
On Monday 28th we went for Emma's one year check up:10,750 kg (feels like a lot more to me!) 75cm (that's 25cm since birth!)
and she had 2 vaccinations which are giving her a bit of a fever...
and she had 2 vaccinations which are giving her a bit of a fever...
Although I don't really want to start fitting Emma into a box, it is kind of reassuring for a first time parent to read up on development milestones so that you know what to expect and have an idea of what your kid should be up to when.
(Above: waiting for the doctor with Annabel also known as "tata yéyé")
According to the development milestones listed by baby weekly (which I have really enjoyed receiving and am sad is ending at week 52 since Emma's birth!) Emma is "ahead" in using her hands (has been removing socks for ages, lifts heavy objects, puts things in baskets, pulls them out, claps...) and can recognize gestures by words (clap, tap, "dodo"), she will point to things she wants instead of crying (although she cries when you remove something she wants). However, she seems to be "lagging behind" in anything that has to to with actually getting on to her two feet; no standing, walking nor even proper crawling so far!
The pediatrician said she is pretty heavy which makes it more difficult for her to walk but that the key thing is she is moving around, the "how" isn't so important. I think they only start worrying if your babe isn't walking at 18 months.
In the waiting room at the Pediatrician's with Annabel (aka "tata yéyé")
Some more great news is that now she's allowed to eat practically everything. So tonight I made her some of my favorite meatballs in the world - Baba's recipe! - but a mini version for her lunch tomorrow and hopefully the day after. Hope she likes them.
Friday, May 16, 2008
tips on brushing a baby's teeth please
Anyone have tips on brushing a baby's teeth?
Emma already has 8 teeth and our pediatrician said it might be a good idea to start "brushing" after meals.
But how do you manage that with a 9 and 1/2 month not-yet-toddler?
Emma, who sticks absolutely everything into her mouth without being asked, just thrusts her tongue stubbornly in between her lips blocking any access to her teeth.
And when I just handed her the toothbrush in the hope she would get used to it, she stuck the wrong end in her mouth!
Emma already has 8 teeth and our pediatrician said it might be a good idea to start "brushing" after meals.
But how do you manage that with a 9 and 1/2 month not-yet-toddler?
Emma, who sticks absolutely everything into her mouth without being asked, just thrusts her tongue stubbornly in between her lips blocking any access to her teeth.
And when I just handed her the toothbrush in the hope she would get used to it, she stuck the wrong end in her mouth!
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Happy Birthday Emma
TWO MONTHS TODAY!
Yipeee!
Yipeee!
1 trip on a plane,
met 2 out of 2 aunties,
wore nappies of 3 different sizes and lived in 3 different "homes",
met 3 out of 4 grand-parents,
driven in 5 different cars,
visited at least 6 apartments...
What an experienced girl I am!
Things can only get better, don't you think?
wore nappies of 3 different sizes and lived in 3 different "homes",
met 3 out of 4 grand-parents,
driven in 5 different cars,
visited at least 6 apartments...
What an experienced girl I am!
Things can only get better, don't you think?
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
baby's own passport if you please
Yesterday I finally managed to get Emma's passport pics done. Hurrah!She does not look exceedingly happy, but it meets the requirements.
We had tried before, but getting a newborn to keep her eyes open and "sit" with her head upright (or at least look like it) is no easy task!
Unbelievably, newborns now have their own passports - they last 3 years!!! which is crazy seeing as they change so much in 3 weeks!
Whatever....
If you ever have to do this, here are a few tips:
- don't try to do take the picture yourself - instead go to a proper photographer who will have done this a few times and know all about the requirements for a biometric passport
- take a white scarf or shawl with you to wrap your left hand in (this will hide the hand that holds the head)
- dress your little one in a top that opens in the front allowing you to hide your other hand while you hold her/him steady across the tummy
- sit down and cross your legs so that you can balance your babe on the knee of your upper leg, holding her/him away from your body
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Welcome Emma!
Live from the maternity clinic - so no pics yet I'm afraid, you'll have to wait until I can download them on my mac - I just wanted to let the world know that we welcomed our little Emma on July 30th at 6h09 am as she made a rather speedy entrance to the world.
At birth she weighed 3,450kg and measured 50cm, had some brownish hair, dark blue eyes as well as the cutest, though by no means little, nose.
We are over the moon with joy and look forward to a lifetime of love and adventure with the youngest member of our family.
Welcome Emma, we are so happy to have you!
Update: a pic of Emma taken as we were leaving the clinic on Friday, August 3rd 2007
Update: a pic of Emma taken as we were leaving the clinic on Friday, August 3rd 2007
Friday, July 27, 2007
No Champagne... yet!
Just in case you were wondering whether our train had come in...Nope, no cigar, champagne, mademoiselle yet. Not even an inkling.
Too bad, I kind of liked the 27.07.2007 but, hey, tomorrow would be fine too....
Anyhow, it was nice to be able to go to my third aqua-gym class and enjoy a dinner for two with my honey.
Tomorrow is another day....
Off to enjoy a full night's sleep!
Too bad, I kind of liked the 27.07.2007 but, hey, tomorrow would be fine too....
Anyhow, it was nice to be able to go to my third aqua-gym class and enjoy a dinner for two with my honey.
Tomorrow is another day....
Off to enjoy a full night's sleep!
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
2 days left....but does she know it? also: from Izmir to Vienna via Geneva and a pad in France
Well into week 39 and I have totally had enough of being pregnant thank you very much.
According to the very first due date we were given (27th July) there are 2 days left. We were also given August 4th as EDD which takes us to Saturday next week.
Honestly, the past 4 weeks have seemed longer than the previous 8 months!
It's a bit of a shame really as I hadn't found it at all difficult to be pregnant until then. On the contrary. Now days I'm finding it no fun at all and my looking-forward-to-meeting-you-baby feeling has been superseded by a can't-bloody-wait-to feel lighter/ able-to-breathe/sleep /feel stable on my feet - longing.
A shame. But I guess that also means that I'm not thinking about giving birth as something daunting, rather like something vital and liberating. De-li-ve-ry. I've never liked that wording in English, but I guess it's not far from what I think I will feel.
According to the very first due date we were given (27th July) there are 2 days left. We were also given August 4th as EDD which takes us to Saturday next week.
Honestly, the past 4 weeks have seemed longer than the previous 8 months!
It's a bit of a shame really as I hadn't found it at all difficult to be pregnant until then. On the contrary. Now days I'm finding it no fun at all and my looking-forward-to-meeting-you-baby feeling has been superseded by a can't-bloody-wait-to feel lighter/ able-to-breathe/sleep /feel stable on my feet - longing.
A shame. But I guess that also means that I'm not thinking about giving birth as something daunting, rather like something vital and liberating. De-li-ve-ry. I've never liked that wording in English, but I guess it's not far from what I think I will feel.
So, a part from that, I might mention that we are now temporarily in Geneva and have been for just over a month.
Our house in Izmir is no longer ours at all and our belongings -including baby's room- are traveling around Europe somewhere and hopefully heading towards Vienna. Mmmm.
Vienna. Yup, that's where were moving to next. Sometime this autumn.
In the meantime we're expecting baby and doing our best not to feel too "SDF" as the French say (=sans domicile fixe, literally "without fixed abode" according to the Inter Active Terminology for Europe dictionary) - To be honest and hopefully not sound ungrateful, although we are lucky enough to be in a city where we are able to stay with family members, have friends and know our way around, I've had moments where I've found it rather unsettling to be expecting a baby and be in between locations/jobs at this moment in time.
I guess this is where you feel how stable you feel as a person and a couple. Boy, am I glad we didn't do this a couple of years ago; life treats you with what you can handle, thankfully. But back to us doing our best so as not to feel totally nomad. A huge contribution to putting down some kind of roots has been the decision followed by the opportunity of finding and buying a small flat in near by France (about 15 minutes to down town Geneva with a gorgeous view of fields and the lake). Yay!
We're swamped in paper work and catalogs (choosing tiles, etc.) and it probably won't be ours until September, but it's a super exciting project and really nice to know that somewhere in the world we'll have a HQ / base / pad.
Happy me.
A good thing the sales are now on....Checking out plates, cutlery and furniture in various places has definitely helped keep my mind off my bladder's decreasing capacity to guarantee any kind of serious autonomy, as well as kept me away from buying baby clothes galore.
And baby, you're welcome any time now, really... I'm sure you're quite happy in there and all, but there are loads of people waiting to meet you outside my belly. It's time to come out and have a look at the outside world now.
Our house in Izmir is no longer ours at all and our belongings -including baby's room- are traveling around Europe somewhere and hopefully heading towards Vienna. Mmmm.
Vienna. Yup, that's where were moving to next. Sometime this autumn.
In the meantime we're expecting baby and doing our best not to feel too "SDF" as the French say (=sans domicile fixe, literally "without fixed abode" according to the Inter Active Terminology for Europe dictionary) - To be honest and hopefully not sound ungrateful, although we are lucky enough to be in a city where we are able to stay with family members, have friends and know our way around, I've had moments where I've found it rather unsettling to be expecting a baby and be in between locations/jobs at this moment in time.
I guess this is where you feel how stable you feel as a person and a couple. Boy, am I glad we didn't do this a couple of years ago; life treats you with what you can handle, thankfully. But back to us doing our best so as not to feel totally nomad. A huge contribution to putting down some kind of roots has been the decision followed by the opportunity of finding and buying a small flat in near by France (about 15 minutes to down town Geneva with a gorgeous view of fields and the lake). Yay!
We're swamped in paper work and catalogs (choosing tiles, etc.) and it probably won't be ours until September, but it's a super exciting project and really nice to know that somewhere in the world we'll have a HQ / base / pad.
Happy me.
A good thing the sales are now on....Checking out plates, cutlery and furniture in various places has definitely helped keep my mind off my bladder's decreasing capacity to guarantee any kind of serious autonomy, as well as kept me away from buying baby clothes galore.
And baby, you're welcome any time now, really... I'm sure you're quite happy in there and all, but there are loads of people waiting to meet you outside my belly. It's time to come out and have a look at the outside world now.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Baby Birth Announcements
Typically, although we're still not 100% set on the name, I've recently started thinking about announcing our baby's birth.
It's easy to forgo the paper ones because modern technology serves us well and traditional birth announcements can a) require some organization (like a camera when you need one, an up-to-date address book and a stock of stamps) b) be expensive c) be boring or at least unoriginal d) be old-fashioned ...
Now that I think about it, I was informed of friends' kids' births by text messages, emails, and digital pics sent electronically. Efficient. Gets the message across. But in a way it's a bit of a shame. Text messages and emails are so virtual and short-lived.
Granted, I'm sure no-body but close family members keep the cards or pics, but something more tangible and long-lived is simply more inspiring to me than using sms. As long as it's kind of fun. And versatile (so we could do a mix -part email part airmail- depending on the generation we're writing to). And original but not over-the-top. And doesn't make us bankrupt or take ages to organize.
Then there's the visual content: although I might feel otherwise on D-day, most newborns I've seen wouldn't win a beauty contest until maybe a few days/weeks later (unless they were born by C-section) so a picture of a baby foot or hand is often way more aesthetic than a "portrait". However it's super frustrating if you're on the receiving end! So you might as well use a printed card featuring someone else's foot. But then it's really pointless and is definitely neither fun nor original....
What do you think about Movie Poster announcements? (not necessarily in movie poster size!) The idea is kind of fun and original but setting up your newborn as a star from day one, isn't that um, like a bit presumptuous? or maybe it's just the idea of associating baby to a blockbuster movie... mhh....
Well, if you have any ideas or have found or used a fun, original, not overly complicated way to tell the world baby is born, I'm all ears (I mean, eyes....)
baby birth announcements baby birth announcements
It's easy to forgo the paper ones because modern technology serves us well and traditional birth announcements can a) require some organization (like a camera when you need one, an up-to-date address book and a stock of stamps) b) be expensive c) be boring or at least unoriginal d) be old-fashioned ...
Now that I think about it, I was informed of friends' kids' births by text messages, emails, and digital pics sent electronically. Efficient. Gets the message across. But in a way it's a bit of a shame. Text messages and emails are so virtual and short-lived.
Granted, I'm sure no-body but close family members keep the cards or pics, but something more tangible and long-lived is simply more inspiring to me than using sms. As long as it's kind of fun. And versatile (so we could do a mix -part email part airmail- depending on the generation we're writing to). And original but not over-the-top. And doesn't make us bankrupt or take ages to organize.
Then there's the visual content: although I might feel otherwise on D-day, most newborns I've seen wouldn't win a beauty contest until maybe a few days/weeks later (unless they were born by C-section) so a picture of a baby foot or hand is often way more aesthetic than a "portrait". However it's super frustrating if you're on the receiving end! So you might as well use a printed card featuring someone else's foot. But then it's really pointless and is definitely neither fun nor original....
What do you think about Movie Poster announcements? (not necessarily in movie poster size!) The idea is kind of fun and original but setting up your newborn as a star from day one, isn't that um, like a bit presumptuous? or maybe it's just the idea of associating baby to a blockbuster movie... mhh....
Well, if you have any ideas or have found or used a fun, original, not overly complicated way to tell the world baby is born, I'm all ears (I mean, eyes....)
baby birth announcements baby birth announcements
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Week 32
On Saturday June 9th we had our last Turkish check-up with our local Ob-Gyn.
The latest:
weight (EFW): 2133gr (657gr in the past 3 weeks)
height: 41,32cm (= femur length of 6,22 x 6 + 4)
Estimated Delivery Date (EDD): varies depending on what you measure. Since she's slightly Large for Gestational Age (LGA) - some measurements show her to be up to 34 weeks, give or take a few days - obviously this moves the EDD up.
If only...
I'd be very happy to have her at week 37 when she's technically no longer a preemie (in Switzerland)!
Good news is, her lungs are mature so should she come early no issues there.
Other than the usual ultra-sound, we also had fetal monitoring for the first time.
This involved me lying down with straps around my belly meant to capture bebek's heart beat, a nurse ringing a bicycle bell next to my belly, and me pressing on a what looked like an ignition button every time I felt a kick. Oh, and it also measures uterine contractions should you have any.
Basically, a healthy baby should react to the bicycle bell both by movement and an increased heart rate. Very definitely bebek was responsive - I'm not sure how much she enjoyed the experience, but Doc. was reassured she was well and I got my share of kicks, waves and somersaults.
We leave for Geneva in two weeks and so unless something unpleasant happens before then, the next time we visit our Doc. here, she'll be able to see our bebek without the need of an ultra-sound...
I have to say it's kind of weird having gone through 32 weeks of appointments, ultra-sounds, blood tests, phone calls and talks with her, to suddenly say goodbye before the baby is born. Kind of sad actually...
pregnancy EDD fetal monitor week 32
The latest:weight (EFW): 2133gr (657gr in the past 3 weeks)
height: 41,32cm (= femur length of 6,22 x 6 + 4)
Estimated Delivery Date (EDD): varies depending on what you measure. Since she's slightly Large for Gestational Age (LGA) - some measurements show her to be up to 34 weeks, give or take a few days - obviously this moves the EDD up.
If only...
I'd be very happy to have her at week 37 when she's technically no longer a preemie (in Switzerland)!
Good news is, her lungs are mature so should she come early no issues there.
Other than the usual ultra-sound, we also had fetal monitoring for the first time.
This involved me lying down with straps around my belly meant to capture bebek's heart beat, a nurse ringing a bicycle bell next to my belly, and me pressing on a what looked like an ignition button every time I felt a kick. Oh, and it also measures uterine contractions should you have any.
Basically, a healthy baby should react to the bicycle bell both by movement and an increased heart rate. Very definitely bebek was responsive - I'm not sure how much she enjoyed the experience, but Doc. was reassured she was well and I got my share of kicks, waves and somersaults.We leave for Geneva in two weeks and so unless something unpleasant happens before then, the next time we visit our Doc. here, she'll be able to see our bebek without the need of an ultra-sound...
I have to say it's kind of weird having gone through 32 weeks of appointments, ultra-sounds, blood tests, phone calls and talks with her, to suddenly say goodbye before the baby is born. Kind of sad actually...
pregnancy EDD fetal monitor week 32
Thursday, May 24, 2007
no-name Mademoiselle
To date, we have been totally useless at finding a name for our little Mademoiselle-on-the-way.
In the beginning, we didn't know if we were expecting a girl or a boy and so we had a mixed-gender list of names pinned to a kitchen shelf.
In the beginning, we didn't know if we were expecting a girl or a boy and so we had a mixed-gender list of names pinned to a kitchen shelf.
We totally thought this was not going to be difficult.
After a while, we had to come to terms with the fact that we weren't really making progress so we thought finding out the baby's gender might help (ok, so we just wanted to know - it's hard to refuse today's technology! - and I wanted to know if I was into pink for a good reason).
Anyway, the list is still there only the "girl" column is now longer. We both add a name to it when we come across one we like. We also regularly cross names off ("What was I thinking?!")
We have consulted books, websites and dictionaries, received newsletters and emails, suggestions from family members...
Nada, nil, squat. No winner on our list it seems. We are at a loss. Mademoiselle is still "bebek" most of the time. Or Mademoiselle B.
We have kept the (now dowdy looking) list and might short-list some names in the unlikely event that bebek will look like a definite Lea, Milla, Emma, Zoya, Chloe, Emily, Zoe etc. the moment we set eyes on her.
It's not only that we can't agree on a name - it's that neither of us has found the name, the one you are so 100% convinced about that you could convince your other half, the one you really love.
I can't believe how hard we are finding this!
Our criteria for the name:
- does not mean, sound like or rhyme with anything nasty in same or other language (e.g. Recently heard of "Anemique" = lack of iron in French, "Dana" which means beef in Turkish, or names beginning with "mal" (bad/wrong) like "Malena")
- is melodious yet simple
- can be easily pronounced and spelled in many languages (mainly all the ones spoken by our globally-sprawled out families)
- is suitable in "our languages" - some names are very cute in English but a disaster in French or vice versa
- is original yet not outrageous nor difficult to "wear"
- is suitable for a toddler, a young girl a woman and a granny (some names just aren't!)
- fits baby's surname (& so does not start with the letter B so as not to be BB)
- does not begin with S (our initials)
- if possible, it means something to us (has some kind of connection to our history)
- most of all: we both like it!
HELP!
Sunday, May 20, 2007
30 weeks
3D images... they're practically photos!
It's a bit weird seeing these - hubs prefers the classical 2D and I can see why...
Anyway, all is well and here's the latest:
- weight: 1476 gr
- height: 37 cm *
- guesstimate weight & height at term (40 weeks & according to gynae): 3,7 or 3,8 kg (OMG!!!) and 52 cm
- dr.'s comments: "she is slightly bigger than average at 30 weeks" & "she'll be tall according to measures of femur bone"; "she doesn't have your nose, hers is more round"; & "everything is fine, call me if need be at any time".
- latest EDD: 27th July 2007 (this is the same as the very first date we were given)
- dr. is very happy with my stabilized weight gain. Basically I put on 200gr since the April check-up, the rest is all baby's!
- my blood pressure is always the good old 110/70
- next appointment: June 9th for baby monitoring (ultra-sound & heart beat monitoring to see if she is reactive to sound, movement etc.)
* you can calculate this: Femur Length x 6 + 4 = total height (or is that length?)
Friday, May 18, 2007
Preggie books
Being pregnant in a foreign country means you don't have your usual family & friends' advice on hand and your usual reference points. Luckily in my case, there are a couple of newfound friends who are also pregnant with whom to exchange experiences of various body changes and kicking baby stories. Hurray!
There are times though, however fun the chat (or the web-surf), nothing beats a good book!
<-- These have been my companions on this 30-week journey (so far - Hurray! Hurray!) ranging from the serious to light-hearted if totally honest & friendly.
Most fun and good bedside reads: "minus nine to one" by Jools Oliver & "Shopaholic & Baby" by Sophie Kinsella.
Liz Fraser's "The Yummy Mummy's Survival Guide" and "The Best Friends' Guide to Pregnancy" by Vicki Iovine are both a good mix of fun and practical.
Liz Fraser's book Yummy Mummy's Survival Guide is very much in there with advice on pampering yourself as much as you possibly can, while you can, explains what happens to your relationship with friends, your body image and partners, and shares tips on baby showers, what to pack for the hospital and labor.
Vicki Iovine's Best Friends' Guide to Pregnancy was funny yet brutally honest and a very easy read-in-the-order-you-like with sections ranging from Sex and Pregnancy to Looking and feeling your best or I can't eat/ breathe/ walk and I'm scared to death.
Gina Ford's "The New Contented Little Baby Book" has me a bit confused as I read it sort of at the same time as Tracy Hogg's "The Baby Whisperer Solves all you Problems" - not a good idea! Although both are very much pro-routine (as opposed to demand feeding) their timings in getting baby into a feeding/sleeping routine are not the same and you end up trying to figure out what the differences are and which would suit you best when you can't possibly know at this stage!
I found Tracy Hogg's book easier to read with her E.A.S.Y routine (Eat. Activity. Sleep. You) and her check lists to help you determine why your six-week baby or under is crying. I liked her "Common complaints-Probable causes" and her feeding/sleeping charts.
Yours truly, novice at mummyhood, found Mrs. Ford's lengthy paragraphs hard to follow : "if your baby is xxx-ing then you must be yyy-ing, which leads to zzz-ing so you might want to try xyz-ing, however without abc-ing..." AGHHHH! What was that?! Maybe at a later stage when it all becomes a bit more real. Right now I found the best part of her book was the "Common problems in the first year" section which is brief and to the point. I am sure, however her book will come in handy later on.
Finally, "Le Guide Pratique de la Femme Enceinte" takes you through the weeks & months explaining all the possible physical changes, ailments, exercises and sizes. It is an informative but not particularly fun read.
I have recently acquired "The Panic-Free Pregnancy" written by M.D. Michael S. Broder in the form of Q&As; "an Ob-Gyn (who) separates fact from fiction on food, exercise, travel, pets, coffee, medications, and other concerns you have when you're expecting". I don't exactly plan to read this through and through, rather use it as an ad hoc reference book.
That's all for now! Any other books you can recommend? 70 days left after all...
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Mummy brain
I recall thinking my good friend N. had gone nutters when she turned hysterical against her mother for crossing the street, on the pedestrian crossing, with her new grand-son in his new pram, not a car in sight but while the light was red !!!!
I also remember thinking that my sister had clearly lost all sense of proportion when she stood as a barrier to the baby blender, defending her controlling position of the "on" button, while desperately trying to position her squiggling daughter on her ever-so-slim-hip, so that her husband could not make carrot purée à sa façon, nor take their daughter from her in an attempt to help her out.
By and by, I have seen reasonable, intelligent, calm women, suddenly turn into a scarier version of the Incredible Hulk when they perceived their bundle of joy to be threatened by the environment, or worse: a family member's good intentions or a friend's uninvited opinion.
It soon became apparent that offering an unsolicited opinion, helping hand or alternative way to a new mother was totally and utterly suicidal. Oh Yeah.
Since then, the above-mentioned have had more babies and have (thankfully) totally chilled. Phew!
Now I'm kind of scared about what is going to happen to my brain in a little while.
There's no point in knowing about it. Awareness is one thing, but something clearly happens - instinct? exhaustion? wanting to be the best possible mom? - that tips your scales and makes you believe you are the only one who knows how to carry, feed, bath, etc. your nappy-filling-rose-smelling-baby.
Suddenly, you're paying more attention to every little breath, mimic and sound than to the hairiness of your under-arms (ugh! that bad?!) and nobody knows better than you whenever your baby is concerned.
Luckily, it seems to be a phase.
Then there's also the fact that all you talk about is baby, poo, nappies, sleep(-lessness)... Looks like that's already started!
I used to wonder what had happened to new-Mummies brains, conversation and sense of humor... I guess in a way it's understandable - being pregnant, giving birth, taking care of a brand new human being is rather huge and overwhelming - but so boring to others!
I guess if you flip it around we could say it's being focused?
Looking forward....
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