Conversations with Adam

Adam: Why do you have such a big blub?
Me: That's my tummy, not a blub. Why do YOU think I have such a big tummy?
Adam: I don't know.
Me: Is it bigger than it used to be?
Adam: Yes.
Me: And you have no idea why it's getting bigger?
Adam: shakes head no
Me: Where do you think our new baby is growing?
Adam: At Schimmels' ?? (family friends)

Menu Plan Monday - March 30, 2008

Sunday- Tuna Melts & Pears
Monday- Burritoes (make double batch to put in the freezer)
Tuesday- Grilled Salmon & Rice Pilaf
Wednesday- Tacos
Thursday- Chicken & Rice Bake
Friday- Homemade Pizza
Saturday- Spaghetti & Salad

See what's on other menus at Organizing Junkie, the host of MPM.

Newborn Eye Ointment

Anne, in the comments on my Pregnancy Update, you asked what the eye antibiotics were. I decided to post the information here rather than in the comments because of length.

Eye ointment - If you had a sexually transmitted disease while pregnant, this can be passed to your baby and cause blindness. Rather than test for an STD before applying the ointment, they simply apply it to all infants. Silver nitrate used to be used, and it stung the baby’s eyes, sometimes causing eye problems later in life. Now it is more common to use Erythromycin, which does not sting. However, many mothers object to their babies receiving a treatment that is unnecessary, especially if they are in a monogamous relationship and know they don't have an STD, or if they have been previously tested. This can be dispensed with if you sign a waver (sic). Click Here to read the medical research studies which explain why choosing to forgoe the ointment is a reasonable decision for parents to make because the treatment does not significantly reduce infection, and many infants who receive the treatment contraction the infection anyway.

Information copied from: http://www.unhinderedliving.com/newborn.html
(This reference is not meant to imply an endorsement of the website mentioned)

Since this is totally not an issue for me, I see no reason whatsoever to subject my child to the antibiotic. I'm not a proponant of prophylactic antibiotic use anyway so it's a pretty natural response for me to decline it.

Pregnancy Update

I consistently read blogs even though I don't consistently write. I just haven't had much desire to write anything lately and I can't really blame it on my pregnancy. Well, maybe I can. The extreme nausea I usually experience has abated somewhat and it's definitely more managable but I still get quite tired and never know how to fit into one day all the things I 'need' or want to do. The list of things in my head is quite a bit longer than is my stamina. I guess I'm getting old!

I'm also having the struggle that I've had at this point in a pregnancy before and that is, "Boy, I wish I could just go to a midwife and a birthing center and skip all this medicalized doctor stuff" the trouble is, insurance pays 100% for the medicalized doctor stuff and 0% for the personal, humanized, holistic, hands-on care. It's a big difference between $0.00 and $3400.00 or so. Sigh. I guess I just go over my birth plan again and remind myself why I decline all the different testings and typical protocol and get ready to stand my ground. I do have to say, though, that my doctor last time didn't give me too hard a time about rejecting a lot of the typical medical protocol. In case you wonder what I mean specifically, I decline things like:

• most cervical exams
• genetic testing
• glucose tolerance testing
• group b strep testing
• 20-week ultrasound (and any other u/s except the one at the start to date the pregnancy)
• labor induction or augmentation
• IV use
• eye antibiotics for baby
• assisted delivery of the placenta

Another thing is that I wish I could labor in the water as long as I wanted to and even deliver there. I'm pretty sure that's not okay at 'my' hospital and with my doctor although I will be verifying that to be sure.

Okay. That's out of my system. Now what I wish was out of my system is this nasty cold that I have. I cough so hard that I end up vomiting (nice), which is also hard on my umbilical hernia (ouch). Once the baby has grown enough that my uterus is blocking the hernia site it won't be so much of a problem. As it is, I have some excruciating belly button pain some days (even without the cough) and I have to press on my belly button to reduce the hernia and, um, well, push that little bit of intestine back through. Imagine that with a wicked cough.

Tomorrow is the halfway point in this pregnancy and I'm really looking forward to adding this new one to our home. (Even though I sound like I'm doing a lot of complaining in the above paragraphs!) I got to see Abby with my sister's new little baby girl and Abby LOVES her. It's so sweet! When I was holding Elizabeth, Abby would climb up on my lap and lay on my chest beside the baby and pat her back and tell her "you okay". Oh my goodness, she loves that little girl. It just make me anxious to bring home a little baby of our own to Abby. Anyhow, I'll end with a picture of the little sweetie born in the water at a birthing center and caught by her mama! Isn't that just great!?!?