Baby Dust Diaries

Today on The View, while talking about California’s newborn octuplets, Sherri Shepherd talked about her experience with in vitro fertilization and cleared up some misconceptions.  She also advocated for insurance coverage for IVF, seconded by co-host Elizabeth Hasselbeck.  Overall it was great to see a mainstream show talk about the facts which few really know.  Even Barbara Walters didn’t know the difference between IVF and methods that cause these very high order multiples.  

Ok, but just barely.  I am about 1cm dilated.  My NST was perfect (and still non-stressful at the Birth Center).  Blood Pressure good.  Took Group B Strep test…waiting for results.

So I was talking to my mom today about how I’m less scared about birth than I am about difficulty breastfeeding.  This led to my all time most feared parenting challenge is having a left-handed child (please note tongue-in-cheek being employed I’m quite sure there are much more challenging things!).  I am SO right handed that I can’t believe how ambidextrous my sister has to be as a lefty.  I think it would actually be difficult to teach a lefty how to write or hold a pencil.  So, I decided to see if there was research on how heredity effects handedness.  It… Continue reading Handedness and Heredity

It was exactly one year ago today that we had our appointment with Dr. Austin at the Cleveland Clinic Fertility Center.  2008 was Operation Get Knocked Up!  however, we thought we would be pursuing donor sperm – we had picked out clinics and browsed donor registries.  And, of course, we had “come to grips” with our child not having DH’s gorgeous chocolate eyes.  I don’t think you can really come to grips with that but when you can talk about it without crying that’s as good as it gets.

So last night and today I’ve been experiencing contractions.  They are painful and sometimes frequent – as close as 6 min apart.  I don’t think they are getting closer, worse, or more regular so this is probably just pre-labor.  It is quite exciting.  It gives me a chance to practice relaxing through the pain and it is hopefully dilating my cervix!  I’m glad I know not to worry or call the midwife.  I’m sure that when the time is right I’ll be screaming and SURE it is time to go!  

Had my first non-stress test at the Birth Center today and it was really worth it.  I was there for hours since they take it like a hospital admission and are very thorough – but the test itself was so much easier.  They place that monitor on my stomach and it just instantly picks up her heartbeat.  Sometimes I had to strain to hear it but the machine was picking it up perfectly.  In the office we could all hear the heartbeat loud and clear but the machine wasn’t getting it.  I imagine that this is costing my insurance co… Continue reading Non-Stress Test at the Birth Center