Hypnosis and Baby-talk

Here comes week 19! Week 18 was fairly uneventful. No funny stories this week...but we did start our birthing classes and I want to tell you all about it!

We decided to use a birthing technique called HypnoBirthing. Essentially it is a form of self-hypnosis that allows you to put your body and mind into a state of complete relaxation. The idea is that by relaxing all the muscles in your body, the muscles that control contractions can work unrestrained. It is often the tension between muscles that causes the severe pain of labor, so learning to relax the muscles that oppose the natural birth process can help lesson the pain. There's actually quite a bit of biology/science behind it that makes it make a lot of sense. 

We loved our first class, in which we were one of twelve couples. Justin was worried he'd be the only guy there, but every woman had her husband or partner with her. We spent the class talking about our perceptions of birth and what informs them (media, friends, family, personal experiences, ect). We talked about what our fears and hopes were. Then we talked about the science behind labor, what makes it start, what is happening during and how HypnoBirthing can help the process. Then we did a relaxation exercise that was pretty darn awesome. I'm really confident in the program. I don't expect birth to be painless, but I do feel confident that I will be able to accept the pain and use it to my advantage rather than it being uncontrollable or unbearable.

One cute story from this week...At 18 weeks they say that babies can begin to hear noises from outside the womb. So, I talk to my little girl throughout the day. Justin has also started talking to her: he reads her scriptures (seriously awkward to have a guy talking to your stomach, but um...it's adorable), he tells her goodnight, and he kisses her goodnight. The first time he read to her she went completely *nuts* in there, turning all around, and generally having a party. I'm pretty sure she already loves her daddy a lot. Heck, I can't blame her. He's a pretty lovable dude.

Overview This Week

The Bump: Noticeable. I had one random person touch my tummy, a couple of people ask, and several people take notice of the bump, some strangers. It makes me feel good to know I'm not just looking fat. She's growing straight out, though, so it makes my waist and hips look small. Yay!

Symptoms: Morning sickness...I had about 2 days of morning sickness. Then my morning sickness meds also ran out...but weirdly, the 2 days of sickness were while I was still on them. I've been doing great without the medication! I'm also having some hand and feet swelling and leg cramps (it almost feels like I have giant bruises...) and my back has been aching pretty regularly. I also find myself short of breath and having more difficulty climbing stairs, sitting down, and standing up. A waiter at a restaurant tried to sit us at the high top bar tables and I could barely get up. I honestly still love all of these symptoms. Certainly some of them are uncomfortable, but I still love *feeling* pregnant and I love knowing my body is doing what it should to provide a home for my little Harper. I'm also much much more hormonal. It's really easy to make me cry, but I don't get angry or irritable really at all.

Cravings: Krispy Kreme glazed donuts. Smoothies. I love my smoothies, especially in the morning.

Aversions: Eggs. I even thought about getting a breakfast sandwich this morning and the idea repulsed me.

Looking Forward To: Our 20 week appointment next week (where I'll really be 19 1/2 weeks), continuing birthing classes, feeling more consistent movement.

Heartbeats and Maternity Jeans

Today marks the beginning of week 18. According to my pregnancy calendars, Harper is the size of a sweet potato now...that's crazy! She almost weighs one full pound!

This week I ordered a fetal doppler to use at home. I'd been debating getting one for several weeks now and finally I caved. The doppler lets me listen to her heartbeat whenever I want to. I am still feeling her move, but since she's so tiny and the uterus is so much bigger than her at this point, I don't feel *every* movement or feel her very consistently (that's another month or two away). So, the doppler lets me check up on her if I'm having a day where I'm feeling anxious. It's really quite fun to have!

Justin and I also went and registered for baby things! I had planned on registering at two or three different places but we ended up putting everything we need at our registry at BabiesRUs. If you click on BabiesRUs in the previous sentence you can see how much cute stuff we found. I went a little crazy on shoes and bows...but I just can't help it.

My morning sickness came back a couple times this week. It's still been awhile since I've gotten actually physically ill, but I have had a couple nights and mornings where I've come close. I think I am learning how to manage it better and overall it has lessened quite a bit.

I'm also *starving* which is good because at 16 weeks I had only lost about 8 pounds without having gained anything. I should gain 15-25 pounds throughout my pregnancy and while I am of course grateful to have less to lose after the baby comes, having a better appetite makes me feel better knowing she's getting all the nutrients she needs.

Also this week I bought maternity clothes. I went to Deseret Industries, which is a thrift store owned and operated by the Church. I found 3 brand name maternity jeans, all pretty much new (one even had original tags!) for all under $4 a piece. What a steal! I'm so much more comfortable now. My pants before were hurting my stomach and at times making me nauseous. As soon as I put on the maternity pants in the dressing room, I saw why. I definitely do have a baby bump...and the hard seam and button of my jeans was pressing right on the top of where the baby was growing and putting more pressure on my muscles (especially the ones in my back).

Who knew? It was an exciting discovery...both because of the new found comfort and because of the bump!
The maternity clothes really make me feel pregnant. At times I still just feel fat and I wonder if I look that way to other people, haha, but I know she's there. I'm able to start telling what side she's on, too, by her movements.



Earlier I felt her move and wanted to test my knowledge of her position so I used the doppler. I found her within 10 seconds! It was pretty awesome!

Overview This Week

The Bump: Finally there! I love it!

Symptoms: Some morning sickness.

Cravings: ChocoTacos. I have no idea why. It was the strangest thing. Fruit smoothies.

Aversions: Still eggs...

Looking Forward To: Birthing classes starting next week! Feeling more defined kicks/punches.

Gender and Old Wives Tales

Throughout the last several weeks I have recorded pretty much everything. Including all the old wives tales about gender prediction. Here's the list of what was right and what was wrong! 

#1. If you are moody, you are having a girl because of all the extra female hormones.

Wrong. I haven't been irritable or had mood swings. In the last couple of weeks I've been emotional and have cried over cookies. So if you count that, then this one was right. 

 

#2. If your urine is bright yellow, it’s a boy. A dull yellow means a girl.

Right. I know it's gross. But hey...it worked!

#3. No morning sickness, it’s a boy.  A girl if you were sick or nauseous during your pregnancy.

Right. I never bought into this one, though, because 80% of pregnant women deal with morning sickness and certainly 80% of babies are not girls...

#4. A heart rate over 140 beats per minute(bpm), it’s a girl. A boy’s heart beat is slower.

Right. Her heartbeat started off at 156 and has only gone as low as 142 in recent weeks. 

#5. If you crave salty foods it’s a boy. If you crave sweets then it’s a girl.

Questionable. Early on anything sweet made me nauseous and all I craved was fruits and veggies. Most of my cravings early on were salty and most my aversions were sweet. Now, I just crave everything.  I want the foods.

#6. If dad gains weight, it’s a girl. If his weight stays the same, it’s a boy.

Right! Well, sort of. Ever since I have been pregnant Justin's appetite has been crazy. He eats so much more than he used to. 

#7. It’s a girl if you get acne due to the increased levels of the female charged hormones. A girl steals her mother’s beauty.

Wrong. My complexion has actually been better! So have my nails! My hair is thinning out though...hmm. I wonder if that means she'll have hair? ;)

#8. More hair on your legs than normal, count on a boy.

Right. I do find I have to "groom" more frequently than before. 

#9. Cold feet, a boy

Wrong. My toes are icicles some nights. But that happened before pregnancy, so I don't think this one counts.

#10. If you find yourself clumsier with pregnancy, it’s a boy.

Wrong. I'm a lot clumsier than before...and forgetful...and absentminded. I hear this is only the start...

#11. If you’re carrying low, it’s a boy. If you’re carrying high, it’s a girl.

Wrong? It's probably a little early to tell, but Harper is always super low whenever we try to find her heartbeat.

#12. Loop your wedding ring in a piece of thread and let it dangle over your belly. If the rings swings in a back and forth motion, it’s a girl. If the ring moves in a circular motion, paint the room blue.
Right. I did this test at about 12 weeks and it was dead on.

#13. Chinese Gender Calendar
Right. This was the first thing I did when we found out I was pregnant...*cough* Okay. I did it before I even knew. Since we did treatments I knew our exact conception date and was able to calculate the due date before Harper was probably actually even conceived.

#14. Baking Soda Test
Right. I'm not going to explain how to do this one, because it's a little embarrassing. Haha. The theory is that the test measures your pH and you can tell based on that if it's a boy or girl. I conducted a little science experiment in my bathroom around 13 weeks and it was right! 

#15. Mommy's Intuition
Right! I feel like I knew from the beginning Harper was a girl. I would always say it when others would ask and add "But either way would be great. And plus intuition is only 50/50, right?" Still, it was just a deep feeling that I somehow knew her. When the tech said it was a little girl, my reaction was unsurprised. But I still cried.

The Girl Scout Cookie Tragedy That Really Wasn't One

To any of you who may be sensitive to such things, this post contains ultrasound images. Still praying for you. 

Week 16 is over and today I began week 17!

This week I was able to feel the baby move a lot more. I still don't feel movement all the time and not every day. Consistent movement doesn't begin until 24-28 weeks. Still, now that I'm better able to recognize the little flutters, when I feel them...I definitely feel them.

The only "funny" story I have for you this week is that since my chocolate aversion has been gone I have had serious cravings for Tagalong Girl Scout Cookies. Today (Friday) I knew Girl Scouts would be at the grocery store near my home selling cookies from 4-6 so I planned to make a stop. Well...that lovely need to sleep when you're pregnant kicked in and I fell asleep just before 3 and woke up after 6:30. I legitimately started crying when I saw the time. I knew I wouldn't be able to go during the hours they'd be there tomorrow, and I knew they wouldn't be there Sunday. I'd have to wait until after school on Monday. So I cried. Yes, over cookies. Don't ask me why. It was just really emotional.

Thankfully, thanks to an awesome professor of mine and her daughter, I was informed there would be Tagalongs in one of my classes on Monday. Seriously the best news I've received today. My husband's employee, a mom herself, was also able to find cookies being sold tonight when she was on a delivery and stopped to get me some. It's pretty much a happy ending to a very tragic non-tragedy.

In other news, on Tuesday we were able to have an ultrasound in hopes of finding out the gender of our little one. When we got to the office waiting room we were both nervous...and neither of us know why. A son or a daughter would have been *fantastic,* but there was something about being there than filled us with butterflies. Perhaps it was just anxious-excitement. When we were called back, the tech did some paper work and ran our payment through as I was laying on the table with gel on my tummy. I just wanted her to get started! She finally did and began showing us all the baby's different parts...an arm...a leg...the spine...the face...the brain. The baby kicked around for us and began sucking its thumb. At this stage and even on a 2d ultrasound machine you could see detailing *fingers.* That was my favorite part. As she began showing us all the body parts I just wanted her to move beneath the baby's bottom so we could see!

Finally she did...and here are the results. Even though most of you know, I'm going to share the pictures in the order she showed us so you can see our anticipation!

 The little face! It basically looks like a skeleton right now, and you can see the brain in the middle of the forehead. Going to be a smart little baby!

 The arm is right beneath the word "arm." The is from the baby's back.

 The leg is the brightest line on the photo. You can faintly see the other leg behind it and the torso to the right of it.

This one is obvious. The spine is the rigid line you see curved in the middle of the photo.






And the moment of truth...

The baby gave us a clear shot of what was going on "down there" and it's pretty clear she's a little girl!!! For boys they look for a "stub" and for girls they look for the three white lines that you see here.

So, in August 2015 we will welcome our daughter, Harper Noel Morse, into the world and into our lives. We are thrilled!

And I've already gone nuts buying bows...

Overview This Week

The Bump: Definitely there. Someone else (who knew I was pregnant) commented they saw the little bump poking out. I'm mostly glad I just don't look fat anymore.

Symptoms: A couple nights of morning sickness. I'm going to stop saying it's gone for good, because it's really not. Pain in a few different places. Crying over cookies. 

Cravings: Salads. Orange chicken. Fruit smoothies. Girl Scout cookies.

Aversions: Eggs. The smell. The look. The taste. The thought. All of it. Keep them away. Gross. 

Looking Forward To: Our 20 week ultrasound and starting birthing classes. For Harper to get here! (Although, I actually *do* enjoy sort of having her all to myself).

Feisty Little One and Butterfly Wings

I just finished week 15, I am now 16 weeks. Which means...We are able to tell the gender at our next ultrasound this coming week. I know...it's CRAZY. I sincerely have no preference. A son or a daughter would be absolutely amazing. I have an instinct that the baby is a girl, but instinct is still only a 50/50 shot of being right.

The way I see it, this baby was meant for our family and has been waiting a long time to come here. The "gender" is irrelevant because it was decided much longer ago than when I got pregnant.

"Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee..." Jeremiah 1:5

"For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb." Psalm 139:13

This week we had our first prenatal with the birth center. I loved it so much more than the OB's office. It was so quiet and peaceful and so personal. I really disliked feeling like I was "being put through a system" at the OB's office, and so this was a much better fit for us. We listed to the baby's heartbeat again (I hadn't hear it in a month...it was so beautiful to hear it again). Tiny human was being feisty and kept moving away from the doppler. It was sort of adorable.

Speaking of moving...I felt the flutter! A couple of times I wondered if it was there or if it was my imagination. But tonight (Saturday) tiny human wouldn't *stop* moving and I felt those little flutters just constantly. It was a super happy moment. I can't wait until they are more defined and more recognizable. Even now, I love every tiny thing that I feel. Right now they feel almost like the tickle of butterfly wings moving across my lower abdomen. Super fun!

We should know the gender next week as long as tiny human cooperates...so fingers crossed. Please keep in mind...we are not entertaining "guesses." As we feel happy no matter which gender the baby happens to be, we would prefer not to hold a poll or for preferences from others to be expressed.

This week has been a lot better in terms of sickness. The one night I forgot to take my meds made the next day a little bit harder, but overall I've felt great this week. Very little to no sickness and a lot more energy. Still not sleeping great, but I think it's because I don't sleep as deeply and so everything wakes me up.

The only other thing from this week is that we signed up for HypnoBirthing classes. Super excited to start that in a couple of weeks!

Stay tuned for our next blog post! Thanks for following!

Overview of This Week: 

The Bump: It's tiny! But it's there. To most people, I probably only look fat. But I know the baby bump when I see it!

Symptoms: Almost nothing! Some back pain if I don't wear good shoes or stand for too long or walk too far or carry a heavy laptop bag.

Cravings: Salads. Rice krispy treats. Chicken nuggets from Wendy's, the spicy ones. Don't judge.

Aversions: Eggs. And that's it! BRING ON THE CHOCOLATE!

Looking Forward To: Finding out the gender! More movement!