Updates

The baby is still doing well and is still head down. She is active all the time but has stopped poking me under my ribs, which I greatly appreciate. I am also doing well, although getting out of bed or up from the couch is starting to get a bit more awkward. Here's a list of some of the other things we've been doing over the past month to prepare for her arrival:

• We went on a hospital tour earlier this week. This was a really good way to get a better idea of what to expect. The labor and delivery rooms seemed small and barren, but the room with the whirlpool tub seemed very warm and cozy. The staff seemed very warm and professional. They are currently expecting 90 births in July which makes it a somewhat busy month for them (they do 900 births a year), but the day we were there things were pretty quiet.
• We have written our birth plan (nothing fancy, just a one-pager) and have started to share it with our care providers.
• We have decided to hire a doula for birth and postpartum services. We have been taking birth classes from her, but are going to meet with her as our doula for the first time on Friday. Research has shown that women with doulas are half as likely to end up with C-sections, half as likely to need a vacuum or forceps delivery, and experience shorter labors.
• I have talked to my chiropractor about attending the birth and she is more than happy to do so.
• I attended a La Leche meeting so that I would know who to call if I need advice from a lactation consultant. They also loaned me a useful video about how to make sure that the baby is latched on properly.
• I have been reading Ina May's Guide to Childbirth, which contains birth stories as well as practical information about labor and delivery. I have also bought a book called Active Birth which I will read next. As I read, I tell Chad about the information that I think is most critical so that there is a chance that one of us will remember it when the time comes.
• Baby's room - we haven't actually done anything to her room yet, but we have picked out a wall color (dog's ear pink) and a carpet (can't remember the official color, but its basically an off white). I had never intended to paint my girl's room pink, but it matched the bedding we bought and, according to Feng Shui, pink is the most calming of all the colors. Besides, anyone who knows us knows we will need all the help we can get raising a calm child. :)