24 Weeks

24 Weeks! Superova is six months along already! Who knew it would get to this point? Finally, I feel pregnant and am starting to really show. People who don't know me say they can't tell, but good friends say I'm getting big. These cute panties, BTW, are from American Eagle's new brand, Aerie, of panties. Cute, right?

Last night we met our friend Amy who had a baby two months ago. She was energetic and lively and lovely. She answered a ton of my questions. She told me there's a big political thing between doulas and midwives right now, about how doulas make about $2K on a pregnancy, and have no medical training, and midwives are pissed bc they make less than that, and they have medical training, have to pay for malpractice insurance, and have to execute the physiological part of a labor as well as the emotional part. It made sense to me.

Amy delivered at St. Luke's Roosevelt at the birthing center--until she had a C-section that is. Before the CS, though, she was walking around, squatting, sitting on a birthing ball, and sitting in a jacuzzi. She said being active during labor is the best thing you can do. She also told me not to wear a hospital gown, to wear something that is soft and comfortable and beautiful, and also disposable, because it's going to get shit and pee and blood all over it. She told me the contractions hurt like hell, and about the "ring of fire," which our friend Jen had just told me about: apparently when the head is crowning at the vagina, the labia lips are stretched so far, that it feels like they're on fire. Amy said her hubby pushed really hard on her lower back during contractions, and that that helped immensely. She said she wouldn't let him go to the bathroom at all because she needed him there, pushing with her. Hearing her story was really helpful to me.

Amy also made me realize that the birth is the beginning of the hard part. She said the first month, she thought, "I've made the biggest mistake of my life, having a child." She said it was so, so hard. So exhausting and emotionally draining, and hard on her spouse too. Now she's at 2 months past, and it seems like it is getting a lot easier. Thanks, Amy, for sharing your story. I can't wait to meet Luca, Amy's son...