6 Weeks

Gerritt & Sophia playing the alphabet soup


Saying hello to the chickens at the Kelsey Creek Farm

I am almost 6 weeks pregnant. I am feeling fine with the exception of more fatigue. Some days I am ready to go to bed at 8 or 9 pm instead of my usual 10 pm. Occasionally, on my days off, I will take a daytime nap (which is rare for me when I am not pregnant). I don't have many cravings. I sent my husband to the store the other night to buy a real whipping cream since I was craving strawberry shortcake with whipping cream (the whipping cream from the spray can just didn't cut it for me). Thankfully, that craving only lasted 1 day! I've always eaten a healthy diet, but small changes that I've made involved becoming really aware of my protein intake (my goal is 80-100 grams/day), cutting out non-essential snack items (juice, chips, sweets) & finding time for aerobic exercise at least 3 times a week. There will be plenty of weight gain in the 3rd trimester, so I need to curb my caloric intake now while I can. If I have any hopes of having a successful home birth, I must be in great physical shape. The part I am looking forward to the most is feeling the baby move (around 13-20 weeks). That will definitely make this pregnancy more real.
This week I found the placenta encapsulation specialist, Amber Matusky, from Vashon Island. The service costs $250 & involves 2 visits to my house (about 2 hours each). I am so fortunate to live in the community where this service is so easily available. Doing the placenta encapsulation myself is also an option, but I didn't think it would be realistic for me (I want my babymoon to start as soon as possible after giving birth). :-)
Another example of things falling into place - I was able to sign up for short-term disability (STD) insurance through my work benefits. I always thought I couldn't sign up for this type of insurance once I was already pregnant, but apparently I can since it's during the yearly enrollment period. The STD insurance would cover part of my salary if I am unable to work at any point in pregnancy (e.g., preterm labor & needing to be on bed rest) & up to 6 weeks of post-partum recovery after normal vaginal delivery & 8 weeks after a C-section (when I run out of my vacation & sick leave time that is).
I'll be having the first meeting with my new midwife on Monday, March 28th. I hope I'll like her. I've contacted my old midwife, Sally Avenson, who delivered both Gerritt & Sophia (at my husband's insistence; he's still hoping for a "free" hospital birth). If I wanted to birth with her, I would have to be in the hospital & give up my dream of water birth (none of the Seattle-area hospitals allow water VBACs due to all of the monitoring required). Also when I asked her whether I could birth in an upright or kneeling-down position, I was told it would be ok as long as she could "see what's happening" & I was "stable." This leaves a lot of room for interpretation, & not good enough for me. I am not a fighter by nature, & if Sally determined she didn't have good visualization during birth & asked me to change my position from kneeling to semi-reclined, I probably would not have any will or energy to object. This is one of the multiple reasons I want to attempt a home birth. This time I want to birth on my terms.