Don't get me wrong. I have had quite possibly the most perfect pregnancy possible. No morning sickness, no rounds of insane emotional outbursts, not a single strange food craving (although I did go off pasta for a month in the first trimester). Anyway, there's little to complain about and until the baby started kicking in week 17, I had no particularly strong feelings that I was really pregnant(although the ultrasounds and blood tests certainly supported the myth).
As soon as the baby started kicking, the baby starting kicking down ... hard and constantly, with direct aim on my bladder.
All the reading material suggested that the 2nd trimester would be a time of blissful peace and non-frequent trips to the loo. I, however, found that pesky 2nd trimester to be a pain in the ... well ... you-know-what. To be honest (and a little bit personal) I never felt entirely confident in myself (thank god there were no mishaps). At night I was getting up a good 20 times to visit the toilet and I did always need to go, it wasn't like I sat down on the porcelain and suddenly found it was a false alarm. I was always wondering where all that liquid was coming from, but somehow I managed not to dehydrate completely like a shriveled prune.
It seems that my baby didn't want to get out of my pelvis through my entire 2nd trimester. Most other people find their baby migrates north for winter, but mine just bunkered down and shut the doors and windows ... and kept bouncing on my bladder.
Now finally in my 3rd trimester I've managed 2 nights in a row of sleeping almost through the whole night (waking up just once for the loo, but that I can handle). I am enjoying this reprieve. Baby is still kicking, rolling and punching like crazy and I'm enjoying all those movements. What a nice time we're all having right now. I'm sure Jeremy's enjoying it now that I'm sleeping through the night, too.
Sunday 27 July 2008
Wednesday 23 July 2008
Modern Cloth Nappies
I always insisted I would use cloth nappies. When we started planning our new family, cloth nappies were one of the first things I looked into. I was pleasantly surprised to discover modern cloth nappies which are shaped nappies with elastic leg bands and buttons or velcro to hold them up. I was less pleasantly surprised when I realised that there are a mind-boggling assortment of these nappies to choose from.I started researching them before I was even pregnant, and to this day I am still researching them. It's like I'm buying a house or ... a spaceship!
The set-up cost of buying these nappies is quite staggering, and while they save literally thousands of dollars in the long term (compared with buying disposable nappies), the initial cost can seem quite shocking, especially when I have so many other baby things to buy.
To help ease the budget, I am going to use some old-style flat nappies. I inherited an unused pack of 12 terries from my mum. This was a packet of nappies she kept from when we were babies. They just needed a bit of a wash and now they're good to go.
However, there are a million extras to consider such as liners, boosters and covers, which have the additional confusing aspects like the difference between microfibre and microfleece as well as the absorption capacities of bamboo and hemp and how badly they smell when they are wet.
After all these long months of research, I think I finally have the lingo, the details and the budget under control. I am making an initial investment in 6 BumGenius V3 one-size nappies because they are the single most raved about modern cloth nappy available. On top of my terry flats I will buy some flannel flats, because they are less bulky for a newborn (apparently).
Now I still need covers for the flats so I'm going to buy some Baby Beehinds PUL and wool covers, and then I'll hit Spotlight for bargain microfleece to use as liners. I've heard a rumour that Kmart sells cheap microfibre towels that would work as extra boosters. I'm still searching for some reasonably priced bamboo boosters, which have proven to be more difficult to find than hemp (but from all reports hemp smells like death in the morning).Phew! The initial cost alone will be about $315, plus I need a nappy bucket, a wet bag and a nappy bag for going out, and some funky little snappi clips to hold the flat nappies closed (as an alternative to pins). That will cost an additional $78 and believe me, I am going the cheap route with a lot of these items.
When the baby is a couple of months old I will buy some more modern cloth nappies, probably the Australian brand Green Kids (which gets mostly great reviews, but has received some negative attention), or Happy Heinies because my friend recommended them.
The scary thing is, with how much these things cost I really don't want to make a mistake and buy an unreliable brand, but until I test them out on the baby I'm not going to know.
Monday 21 July 2008
Buying a Maternity Bra
Bras are very important to women. A good bra costs half a week's salary (almost). I really believe that women are not serviced well when it comes to this vital piece of clothing. They are too expensive and it's impossible to find a bra that fits.
The majority of women are wearing the wrong size. Did you know that the average cup size is now D, but there is a perception that a D cup is huge and most women avoid this size due to their more humble view of their body shape.
In my quest to find a comfortable maternity bra, I went to several stores and had some very interesting fittings that suggested I could wear a cup size ranging from size DD to F, depending on the style or manufacturer of the bra.
This was quite shocking and left me utterly confused. How could I possibly know what size I was supposed to buy? How could I, tiny little me, possibly be a size F?
The biggest challenge, however, was finding the right waist size. I was under the impression that I am a size 10 when it comes to bras, even though I wear a size 8 in clothes. Maternity bras, however, are rarely available in less than a size 12. Many shops do not stock size 10. The department stores didn't have anything smaller than a size 14!!
How many shop assistants tried to insist that a size 12D is the same as a 10DD? It is not the same, otherwise they wouldn't make the different sizes. I am sick to death of shop assistants blatantly lying about this, just to make a sale. Women, never trust a sales person who tells you such twaddle. Walk out of their store and never return!
After a lot of searching, I found 2 bras and bought them online so I could save $20 (including delivery). However, after I received my bras I felt that I had made a mistake and bought a bra that was a tad too large. I returned to one of the stores that had stocked size 10 and had another fitting.
The shock of all shocks came when the store manager informed me I am not a size 10, I am a size 8. She pointed out that I am fastening my bras on the tightest setting, which is not what I am supposed to be doing. The tightest setting is there for when your bra has stretched a bit. It is supposed to help prolong the lifespan of your bra, since they're so expensive to begin with. The store manager actually thought the cup size was too small, but the waist band was too big. When she tightened the band, I suddenly saw what she meant. She was right. I am wearing bras that are both too small and too big. What a conundrum!
I pointed out that there is simply no chance of finding a maternity bra in a size 8 and she agreed, but she said a tailor could adjust a size 10 to fit me, for around $10 - $20. I felt like crying.
How is this acceptable? How is it that a woman can't find a piece of underwear that fits? Who ever heard of having your knickers tailored? This is, surely, the most insane thing I have ever encountered!
I don't mean to get all femme-nazi, but if this problem occurred with men's underwear there would be a national enquiry and there is no way a pregnant man would ever have to deal with such a problem. Having the wrong size bra can be incredibly damaging on a woman's back and her breasts. While my breasts are developing delicate milk ducts and growing exponentially, the very last thing I should be wearing are bras that don't fit or provide adequate support. This is far from acceptable!
And I don't know what to do.
The majority of women are wearing the wrong size. Did you know that the average cup size is now D, but there is a perception that a D cup is huge and most women avoid this size due to their more humble view of their body shape.
In my quest to find a comfortable maternity bra, I went to several stores and had some very interesting fittings that suggested I could wear a cup size ranging from size DD to F, depending on the style or manufacturer of the bra.
This was quite shocking and left me utterly confused. How could I possibly know what size I was supposed to buy? How could I, tiny little me, possibly be a size F?
The biggest challenge, however, was finding the right waist size. I was under the impression that I am a size 10 when it comes to bras, even though I wear a size 8 in clothes. Maternity bras, however, are rarely available in less than a size 12. Many shops do not stock size 10. The department stores didn't have anything smaller than a size 14!!
How many shop assistants tried to insist that a size 12D is the same as a 10DD? It is not the same, otherwise they wouldn't make the different sizes. I am sick to death of shop assistants blatantly lying about this, just to make a sale. Women, never trust a sales person who tells you such twaddle. Walk out of their store and never return!
After a lot of searching, I found 2 bras and bought them online so I could save $20 (including delivery). However, after I received my bras I felt that I had made a mistake and bought a bra that was a tad too large. I returned to one of the stores that had stocked size 10 and had another fitting.
The shock of all shocks came when the store manager informed me I am not a size 10, I am a size 8. She pointed out that I am fastening my bras on the tightest setting, which is not what I am supposed to be doing. The tightest setting is there for when your bra has stretched a bit. It is supposed to help prolong the lifespan of your bra, since they're so expensive to begin with. The store manager actually thought the cup size was too small, but the waist band was too big. When she tightened the band, I suddenly saw what she meant. She was right. I am wearing bras that are both too small and too big. What a conundrum!
I pointed out that there is simply no chance of finding a maternity bra in a size 8 and she agreed, but she said a tailor could adjust a size 10 to fit me, for around $10 - $20. I felt like crying.
How is this acceptable? How is it that a woman can't find a piece of underwear that fits? Who ever heard of having your knickers tailored? This is, surely, the most insane thing I have ever encountered!
I don't mean to get all femme-nazi, but if this problem occurred with men's underwear there would be a national enquiry and there is no way a pregnant man would ever have to deal with such a problem. Having the wrong size bra can be incredibly damaging on a woman's back and her breasts. While my breasts are developing delicate milk ducts and growing exponentially, the very last thing I should be wearing are bras that don't fit or provide adequate support. This is far from acceptable!
And I don't know what to do.
Sunday 20 July 2008
Gestational Diabetes Blood Test
It was raining this morning. Jeremy took the car to work and I wasn't sure if I would be able to walk to pathology for my blood test, but the sun came out eventually and I set off on my 1/2 hour stroll to the QML lab at the Miami Medical Clinic.
The pathologist on duty took one look at my referral and starting bemoaning my existence. My visit was going to cut into her lunch break. I informed her that I had just walked there for 1/2 an hour and I wasn't going to come back later.
The test required me to drink a high-glucose drink and then sit for an hour before my blood sample could be taken. I told her I was fine with her eating lunch while I was waiting my hour, but she huffed and puffed and told me she couldn't leave me alone.
She proceeded to huff, puff, moan and sigh at me for the next hour and then when the time had passed she rushed off to the collection room, expecting me to find her through my inbuilt GPS. She hurried through the blood samples which pinched and hurt quite a lot. When she had 3 samples she slapped a Band Aid over my vein and kicked me out, while she grabbed her bag and rushed off to lunch. The whole time she barely said 2 words to me.
I don't think it's unreasonable of me to expect professional medical care and nothing less. I found her demeanor and attitude to be quite outrageous. There was no way for me to know when her lunch break was and since appointments are never made for blood tests, it was far from unreasonable of me to turn up at a time that suited me, the patient ... the 6 month pregnant women who walked all the way to the pathology lab only to be treated like garbage.
I wasn't even sure if I was supposed to walk home with all that glucose streaming through my veins, but one thing's for sure ... that woman had no interest in any duty of care.
The pathologist on duty took one look at my referral and starting bemoaning my existence. My visit was going to cut into her lunch break. I informed her that I had just walked there for 1/2 an hour and I wasn't going to come back later.
The test required me to drink a high-glucose drink and then sit for an hour before my blood sample could be taken. I told her I was fine with her eating lunch while I was waiting my hour, but she huffed and puffed and told me she couldn't leave me alone.
She proceeded to huff, puff, moan and sigh at me for the next hour and then when the time had passed she rushed off to the collection room, expecting me to find her through my inbuilt GPS. She hurried through the blood samples which pinched and hurt quite a lot. When she had 3 samples she slapped a Band Aid over my vein and kicked me out, while she grabbed her bag and rushed off to lunch. The whole time she barely said 2 words to me.
I don't think it's unreasonable of me to expect professional medical care and nothing less. I found her demeanor and attitude to be quite outrageous. There was no way for me to know when her lunch break was and since appointments are never made for blood tests, it was far from unreasonable of me to turn up at a time that suited me, the patient ... the 6 month pregnant women who walked all the way to the pathology lab only to be treated like garbage.
I wasn't even sure if I was supposed to walk home with all that glucose streaming through my veins, but one thing's for sure ... that woman had no interest in any duty of care.
Please let me introduce myself
Perhaps I started this blog later than I should have. I am now 28-weeks pregnant, which means there are only 12 weeks left until the young one is due.
My name is Eliza and I have a wonderful, beautiful, devoted husband named Jeremy. We met and got married when we were English teachers in Osaka, Japan. He is originally from the USA but he gave up everything to be with me in Australia. Now we live next to the beach in a city where it is almost always summer.
We have a beautiful life and an outstanding relationship. Sometimes we talk about how we live in a bubble world, where it is just the two of us enjoying this journey through life. When we lived in Japan we built a completely unique life together, far removed from our histories, our families and friends. That is why we feel like we live in a bubble. As far as we're concerned life began when we met ... he was 25 years old and I was 26. Such young dreamers!
Now our bubble is about to burst, or grow ... I'm not sure. In 12 weeks (or there abouts) it won't be the two of us anymore. We can only guess how our lives will change. One thing we're sure of, it's going to be a fabulous ride and we can't wait, we really can't.
Now towards the end of this pregnancy journey, I suddenly find myself with a million thoughts racing through my mind and just yesterday I felt like I might burst open if I didn't find a way to communicate everything that's happening. Hence the blog.
My name is Eliza and I have a wonderful, beautiful, devoted husband named Jeremy. We met and got married when we were English teachers in Osaka, Japan. He is originally from the USA but he gave up everything to be with me in Australia. Now we live next to the beach in a city where it is almost always summer.
We have a beautiful life and an outstanding relationship. Sometimes we talk about how we live in a bubble world, where it is just the two of us enjoying this journey through life. When we lived in Japan we built a completely unique life together, far removed from our histories, our families and friends. That is why we feel like we live in a bubble. As far as we're concerned life began when we met ... he was 25 years old and I was 26. Such young dreamers!
Now our bubble is about to burst, or grow ... I'm not sure. In 12 weeks (or there abouts) it won't be the two of us anymore. We can only guess how our lives will change. One thing we're sure of, it's going to be a fabulous ride and we can't wait, we really can't.
Now towards the end of this pregnancy journey, I suddenly find myself with a million thoughts racing through my mind and just yesterday I felt like I might burst open if I didn't find a way to communicate everything that's happening. Hence the blog.
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