prenatal 101
i realized that i forgot to put up a post about our first prenatal class experience! well we went to kaiser last week on our day off and took a class all about pregnancy, prenatal care, etc. it was taught by one of the nurses there, who was really cool and very honest. we watched a cheesy video (as i am sure all newly expecting couples do) and looked at some really cool pics (similar to the other ones on the blog) of the tadpole.
jim's parents always used to ask us what we learned each week when we'd have dinner with them while in school. i'm sure they are curious, so here is a list of some of the things we learned in prenatal class:
1) you can eat soft cheeses and have caffeine!!!!!!! i had previously read that you have to cut out any soft cheese (feta, brie, goat - basically everything that i love) for fear of bacterial infection, but kaiser doesn't agree. i can eat cheese! and caffeine - you can have like 3 cups of it! i didn't even have 3 cups of it before i was pregnant, so this is not a big deal at all! great news.
2) my belly is going to be HUGE. enormous. it will literally look like i swallowed a basketball. and the baby will be inside just chillin. maybe sucking its thumb, or kicking, whatever. i cannot wait to see it!
3) get to know your doctor and ALL of the doctors and nurses that are on rotation. babies have a tendency to show up whenever they darn well please, and the chances are good that you'll be delivered by someone you've never even seen before.
4) best way to deal with morning sickness - crackers in bed. although for me, it's kind of an "all day" sickness so far. i haven't gotten sick, but i just don't feel so hot most of the day. so i guess that means crackers all the time for me. but not to worry, because this nausea should go away at the end of the first trimester. only another month or so to go!
5) take all the help you can get, because you'll need it. i kind of knew this already, but it was good to have the nurse say it with jim in the room. i think jim has a romantic notion that he and i will bring the baby home and everything will just fall into place, the two of us and our little bean. i am almost certain (knowing myself and the limited amount that i do of childbirth and the few weeks thereafter) that i will need, want, and require help from friends and family. we'll let you all know what we need and when we need it, but i'm warning you now: grandmas, grandpas, and aunts, get ready for the baby invasion of february 2007!
6) i should expect to gain 25-35 pounds. ummmmm, what?
7) i should expect to gain 25-35 pounds. and only 6-8 of those are baby! the rest is water, fluid, boobs, placenta, yuck, yuck, yuck.
8) keep exercising. if you read #6, this is also great news! i had read different things about exercise, about what you can and can't do, but the nurse is fine with me continuing my activity as is! of course, i am not going to krav maga anymore (it isn't called "contact combat" for nothing), but i can run, play kickball, do any cardio i want as long as i don't get overheated, do yoga (especially prenatal), pilates, etc. i guess it helps with the pregnancy, labor, and bouncing back afterwards.
9) breastfeed as long as possible, but it's ok if you can't do it for as long as others do. don't let people try to make you feel guilty or less of a mother because your body or schedule won't allow you to breastfeed for as long as humanly possible. it is a personal thing and is obviously really good for the baby, but it just doesn't work out for some mothers. and stop it if the baby can either ask for it by name, or can chase you around the house when it is time for lunch. done.
10) this is probably the most amazing thing jim and i will ever go through together. i'm already convinced. i look at him in a way now that i never thought was possible. i know that things will be difficult at times, but i also know there is no other person in this world that i'd rather be doing this with.
jim's parents always used to ask us what we learned each week when we'd have dinner with them while in school. i'm sure they are curious, so here is a list of some of the things we learned in prenatal class:
1) you can eat soft cheeses and have caffeine!!!!!!! i had previously read that you have to cut out any soft cheese (feta, brie, goat - basically everything that i love) for fear of bacterial infection, but kaiser doesn't agree. i can eat cheese! and caffeine - you can have like 3 cups of it! i didn't even have 3 cups of it before i was pregnant, so this is not a big deal at all! great news.
2) my belly is going to be HUGE. enormous. it will literally look like i swallowed a basketball. and the baby will be inside just chillin. maybe sucking its thumb, or kicking, whatever. i cannot wait to see it!
3) get to know your doctor and ALL of the doctors and nurses that are on rotation. babies have a tendency to show up whenever they darn well please, and the chances are good that you'll be delivered by someone you've never even seen before.
4) best way to deal with morning sickness - crackers in bed. although for me, it's kind of an "all day" sickness so far. i haven't gotten sick, but i just don't feel so hot most of the day. so i guess that means crackers all the time for me. but not to worry, because this nausea should go away at the end of the first trimester. only another month or so to go!
5) take all the help you can get, because you'll need it. i kind of knew this already, but it was good to have the nurse say it with jim in the room. i think jim has a romantic notion that he and i will bring the baby home and everything will just fall into place, the two of us and our little bean. i am almost certain (knowing myself and the limited amount that i do of childbirth and the few weeks thereafter) that i will need, want, and require help from friends and family. we'll let you all know what we need and when we need it, but i'm warning you now: grandmas, grandpas, and aunts, get ready for the baby invasion of february 2007!
6) i should expect to gain 25-35 pounds. ummmmm, what?
7) i should expect to gain 25-35 pounds. and only 6-8 of those are baby! the rest is water, fluid, boobs, placenta, yuck, yuck, yuck.
8) keep exercising. if you read #6, this is also great news! i had read different things about exercise, about what you can and can't do, but the nurse is fine with me continuing my activity as is! of course, i am not going to krav maga anymore (it isn't called "contact combat" for nothing), but i can run, play kickball, do any cardio i want as long as i don't get overheated, do yoga (especially prenatal), pilates, etc. i guess it helps with the pregnancy, labor, and bouncing back afterwards.
9) breastfeed as long as possible, but it's ok if you can't do it for as long as others do. don't let people try to make you feel guilty or less of a mother because your body or schedule won't allow you to breastfeed for as long as humanly possible. it is a personal thing and is obviously really good for the baby, but it just doesn't work out for some mothers. and stop it if the baby can either ask for it by name, or can chase you around the house when it is time for lunch. done.
10) this is probably the most amazing thing jim and i will ever go through together. i'm already convinced. i look at him in a way now that i never thought was possible. i know that things will be difficult at times, but i also know there is no other person in this world that i'd rather be doing this with.
posted by little bean at 7:41 AM
1 Comments:
Cara & Jimmy!
This is the cutest site! Thanks for sharing all of your experiences with us! I can't wait to be an Aunt - I will babysit for you all the time :)
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