7 1/2 month Update and various musings on parent classes and this group

Robert Powell writes:

: DW is fine, a few traces of protein, that have now disappeared, were the
: only real concern we had so we're left with the minor concerns, you know the
: sort of thing: a belly button that 'pops' when she takes a bath, a baby that
: plays footie with DW's bladder at 3 in the morning, an occasional bought
: with Braxton-Hix and the sheer fatigue of carrying another human being
: inside you are all taking their toll. On that note, any obstetrician
: chiropractors with advice for alleviating lower back pain in the final
: couple of months, shout up now! *smile*

Pelvic Rocks! 20 to 30 rocks 2 to 3 times a day. And tell her not to
forget her Kegels, also.

: As I look back over the last seven and half months, I have to say how
: indebted I am to this group, in particular Ericka, Amy, Anne, Chookie and of
: course Larry and Todd, whose intellectual sparring, if nothing else, has
: been diverting as all hell! *grin*

Intellectual sparring. I'm sure I don't have a clue what you are talking
about! :-)

: Sometimes I've lurked, sometimes I've posted, sometimes I've answered
: directly, but no matter what, all of you, long term members and newbies,
: have kept me sane and been there when I/we needed you most - the English
: languages isn't good enough, I need a bigger word than thank you to express
: my feelings of gratitude to everyone on this group, but that's the only word
: I have so..,

: Thank you

and from us, good luck and happy birthing!

: Rob

Larry

So here we are just a month and a half away from D day (delivery that is) or
1 month 22 days, 14 hours, 4 mins and 30 odd seconds if you want to believe
the countdown clock on my desktop *grin*. The last few months have for me
disappeared with a speed bordering on the obscene - but that could just be a
side effect of turning 40 last month - and the immanent arrival of expected
son is never far from our minds.



DW is fine, a few traces of protein, that have now disappeared, were the
only real concern we had so we're left with the minor concerns, you know the
sort of thing: a belly button that 'pops' when she takes a bath, a baby that
plays footie with DW's bladder at 3 in the morning, an occasional bought
with Braxton-Hix and the sheer fatigue of carrying another human being
inside you are all taking their toll. On that note, any obstetrician
chiropractors with advice for alleviating lower back pain in the final
couple of months, shout up now! *smile*



Bump is 2cm ahead of schedule but otherwise moving like Baryshnikov in a
very small room indeed! Heartbeat is fine and growth is steady, he crawls
his bum around to the left of DW's tummy every night before bed and already
is a part of the family.



Last week we had our last 'parenting classes' where every male in the room
went very still and quiet as the ventouse equipment and forceps were bought
out for show and tell. I feel like I've just finished a Degree course in
fatherhood, now I have to go for the Masters, which is somewhat scarily all
practical rather than the theory we've been dealing with so far.



Todd, you'll be amazed and happy to know that the midwife giving the classes
gave exactly the same information about closing the birth canal as you do.
That's right medical professionals in the UK are actually telling moms to be
not to lie flat on their backs, because it closes the birth canal up to
0% - she even got a plastic pelvis and a newborn infant doll to show us the
process - again to much paling of the male faces in the room - and I have
to say, you'd of thought by now evolution would've moved that damned coccyx
bone out the way wouldn't you, or at least have some sort of zipper
arrangement around the base of the female tummy?



DW has elected for a water birth, she's always had an affinity with water
and hopes that the relaxation of the birthing pool will allow her to have as
natural a birth as possible. She did weigh-up the pros and cons of an
epidural and a delivery room, but feels most comfortable with this way - as
the 'coach' I'll adjust myself accordingly, but as I'm useless with a
snorkel, she'll have to do without my patented lower back rubs.



Mentally, I guess we're as prepared as we can be, though how I'll react when
confronted with my son's first dirty nappy only time will tell - though I
suspect there will be more than one male crying over the discomfort.
Essentially though the panic/worry that gripped me when DW's test came back
with a cross rather than the negative we'd been used has now been replaced
with an optimism and excitement that makes me smile covertly when I see
infants in the street and make me feel a better person all round.



The baby's room is now almost complete; decorated with murals of sea scenes,
changing/bathing unit on the way, cot soon to be delivered and complete with
a major blackout blind I covet!



At the end of this month, we'll be celebrating our first wedding
anniversary; my pressie to DW is a reclining rocking nursing chair, complete
with rocking foot stool. A result of which is that I am, apparently -
according to DW anyway - now the best dad-to-be in the entire universe.
Other dad's take note, ebay rocks! My day's on the computer are now spent
mainly compiling a massive MP3 list for the delivery room - mainly Hawaiian
(in fact mainly Israel Kamakawiwo'ole) to remind DW of our honeymoon and how
relaxed we were there - and keeping distant relatives up-to-date with the
progression of immanent son and heir.



As I look back over the last seven and half months, I have to say how
indebted I am to this group, in particular Ericka, Amy, Anne, Chookie and of
course Larry and Todd, whose intellectual sparring, if nothing else, has
been diverting as all hell! *grin*



Sometimes I've lurked, sometimes I've posted, sometimes I've answered
directly, but no matter what, all of you, long term members and newbies,
have kept me sane and been there when I/we needed you most - the English
languages isn't good enough, I need a bigger word than thank you to express
my feelings of gratitude to everyone on this group, but that's the only word
I have so..,



Thank you



Rob

Rob, I love your updates!

As for the back rubs, you can do them in water, might require some creative
positioning, even a pair of swimming trunks, but if your wife needs that
back rub then she needs it!

Please do me a favour and get her something else as well as the nursing
chair for your anniversary, fabulous though a nursing chair is she is a wife
as well as a mum to be.

Anne

snip
Rob, I love your updates!

As for the back rubs, you can do them in water, might require some
creative positioning, even a pair of swimming trunks, but if your wife
needs that back rub then she needs it!

Please do me a favour and get her something else as well as the nursing
chair for your anniversary, fabulous though a nursing chair is she is a
wife as well as a mum to be.

Anne
snip

Oh Anne,

I'm hurt did you really think I'd leave it at a chair..?

She'll get a pillow as well! *grin*

Nope, 'pamper day' at local health and beauty centre is already booked, as
are the flowers and choccies.

Oh yea of little faith ;-)

Rob

"Robert Powell" wrote in message
...
snip
Rob, I love your updates!

As for the back rubs, you can do them in water, might require some
creative positioning, even a pair of swimming trunks, but if your wife
needs that back rub then she needs it!

Please do me a favour and get her something else as well as the nursing
chair for your anniversary, fabulous though a nursing chair is she is a
wife as well as a mum to be.

Anne
snip

Oh Anne,

I'm hurt did you really think I'd leave it at a chair..?

She'll get a pillow as well! *grin*

Nope, 'pamper day' at local health and beauty centre is already booked, as
are the flowers and choccies.

Oh yea of little faith ;-)

Rob
Do you teach a husband class.. cuz my dh needs to take it Though he did
buy a coffee maker for me!

Tori

--
Bonnie 3/02 AKA "Goofy Gooferson"
Xavier 10/04 AKA "Chunky Chunkerson"

Do you teach a husband class.. cuz my dh needs to take it Though he
did buy a coffee maker for me!

and mine! For our anniversary last year he bought me roses, which was very
kind of him, but then he tucked them under his arm and cycled home, by the
time he got home he didn't actually have any roses just a piece of paper,
remarkably he did manage to recover them and they wern't too mangled!

Anne

Hi Rob

I think the water birth is a wonderful idea. I hopped into the bath
for the last few centimeters and the warmth of the water took a lot of
the pain away - until transition....but that doesn't last too long.

Good for your wife for opting for a natural birth. The natural
hormones are amazing for helping with the pain and the narcotics take
that all away. Have you looked into acupressure?

All the best - I can feel your excitement from NZ

Camille :-) (mum for a year now)

In article ,
"Robert Powell" wrote:

As I look back over the last seven and half months, I have to say how
indebted I am to this group, in particular Ericka, Amy, Anne, Chookie and of
course Larry and Todd, whose intellectual sparring, if nothing else, has
been diverting as all hell! *grin*

Best of luck to you both, Rob! Glad you like my posts.

Chookie -- first official due date, tomorrow!

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"In Melbourne there is plenty of vigour and eagerness, but there is
nothing worth being eager or vigorous about."
Francis Adams, The Australians, 1893.

snip

As I look back over the last seven and half months, I have to say how
indebted I am to this group, in particular Ericka, Amy, Anne, Chookie and
of
course Larry and Todd, whose intellectual sparring, if nothing else, has
been diverting as all hell! *grin*

Best of luck to you both, Rob! Glad you like my posts.

Chookie -- first official due date, tomorrow!

snip

Best thoughts winging your way Chookie, hope it all goes well - if it
happens to date.

Rob

"Anne Rogers" wrote in message
...


Please do me a favour and get her something else as well as the nursing
chair for your anniversary, fabulous though a nursing chair is she is a
wife as well as a mum to be.

Sheesh, you're hard to please! I'd be happy with a nursing chair (if I had
anywhere to put it).
For Mothers' Day I got - wait for it - a text message. Probably because
someone at work reminded him. No massage, no cup of tea, in fact he wouldn't
even change a dirty nappy, and let MIL do it instead. And for our
anniversary, I got sweet F'all. (/end rant)
I love him to bits, really I do. I just happen to think a nursing chair is
incredibly thoughtful - and it beats the pants off the shot that Joy's
sister's husband wanted to get her - a$$hole! Whoops, I'm still ranting! Can
you tell it's 4.30 in the morning and DD hasn't let me sleep yet?


--
Amy
Mum to Carlos born sleeping 20/11/02,
& Ana born screaming 30/06/04
barton . souto @ clear . net . nz
http://www.freewebs.com/carlos2002/
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/a/ana%5Fj%5F2004/