WEEK 37 – BIRTH WISHES & PREGNANCY PHOTO SHOOT

Weekly Baby News

Baby Size: 48.6cm head to toe, 2859gm (2.8kg)

Fun Fruit reference is the size of a Winter Melon. If unsure what a winter melon is it is the size of a small watermelon and used frequently by the Chinese medicinally in savoury dishes, not so popular in Australia.

The baby over the next few weeks will become completely covered in vernix. Vernix is the creamy coat or ‘waterproofing’ that covers the baby to prevent heat loss soon after birth, as a form of insulation. Bub is swallowing about 750ml of amniotic fluid a day at this point and quickly strengthening muscles in these last few weeks. Still tumbling around within the womb may becoming more and more uncomfortable, you may even feel as though you have had your ribs punched or shortness of breathe as he/her presses your diaphragm against your lungs.

Naturopath Advice – BIRTH WISHES

This is a good time to get your birth plan in place if you haven’t already. You may like to not call it a ‘plan’ as things don’t always go to plan, so you may like to use Birth Wishes instead. It is handy to give a copy to your midwife, obstetrician, birth support, doula, partner or whoever is going to be involved with your birth. If you are choosing a hospital birth it is recommended you give to them prior to have on your file or take with you when you go in to deliver so they are clear of your wishes, which reduces the need for you to explain them in the moment.

To help get you thinking of what you may wish to have on your birth plan here are some points to get you thinking:

• Attendees at the Birth – Who are the people you would like in the room, specify if you wish for no medical students to attend. You may wish to have minimal people so pointing this out is important to just have partner and midwife present.

• Lighting and noise in the room – If you would like to create a certain atmosphere have this down so they can respect your wishes by keeping talking to a whisper, what oils you would like in the diffuser and only candlelight etc

• Induction – State whether you are open to being induced or you do NOT want to be induced

• Water birth – State if you would like the option to water birth or shower or both, so they can assist in getting a sufficient room to meet your needs, if in hospital.

• Active Birth – If you are choosing whether to have an active birth, and if you are open to suggestions of positions. You may know a lot of the positions that you’d like to stick to however the midwife during the labour may be able to advise what is more suited. Then you may wish to completely follow your instincts and listen to your body, if this is case clarify it on your Birth Wish Sheet

• Vaginal Examinations – this is optional. You have the choice whether you are open to them checking dilation etc or if you feel it may hinder where your mind set. Be clear around this.

• Pain Relief & Medications – it is important that you and your partner are clear on your preferences here. You may wish to ask them not to offer drugs at all to you so you aren’t tempted in the moment or transitional stage

• Membranes – To obtain permission before stripping membranes

• Discuss anything with us directly that deviates from the our Birth Wishes

• Monitoring – state if you wish to have minimal or intermittent monitoring

• Tearing – suggestions of hot compress, oils, and preference to have episiotomy or not

• Midwife directing – whether you are comfortable with her directing you around pushing or breathing during the crowning of bub

• Catching the bub – state whether you or your partner or anyone else you would prefer to deliver the baby

• Skin on Skin  – state that you would like immediately as the baby is born, most places encourage now however always great to list regardless due to the high level of benefits.

• Cord clamping – whether you want to delay for how long, or if you are choosing a lotus birth. Also whether you wish to cut or burn the cord possibly, there is a number of options

• Music – you might have music that you have specifically been playing for your bub during pregnancy that you might like during the bonding period

• Bathing – if you choose to bathe your baby on the first day or wait for a few days to assist skin health and protection

• Hep B vaccination & Vitamin K – whether you wish to or refuse these choices

• Placenta – state whether you are choosing to keep the placenta for encapsulation or to take home and plant under a tree, or simply would like to see it and express gratitude for the life it delivered and connection between you and bub for the 9 months.

As you can see the list can go on and on. I’m more than happy to share mine with you if you send me an email naturopath@lahlita.com.au. You can also get help doing one up that you simply tick boxes then print out at http://blog.earthmamaangelbaby.com/birth-plan/ I used this one as a draft to get me started and then added my more personalised requirements.

My Journey

This week we did our pregnancy photoshoot with LANI CARTER (Click for link), she is amazing! Lani was able to make the shoot fun and was very creative. I seriously loved the shoot and the photos. I was super blessed to have a friend, Mandi, create a number of flower masterpieces for me to wear (check out her Instagram page (click for link @the.flowerpod). Also had JUDY COPLY, (click for link) who designed my wedding dress, provide a stunning gown for me to wear. Such an A-TEAM of creative woman and I just donated the pregnant belly. We did the shoot at Point Cartwright on sunset, which offered us amazing light and also a Full moon that was perfect! It was quite funny as I got changed a few times on the beach bearing all however didn’t seem to bother me, maybe it goes with being pregnant and feeling my body is a baby carrier not a nude-being anymore haha. Now the tough decision is choosing what photos to buy, and with a pregnant indecisive mind this is quite difficult. I’ve been thinking I might do a little book up for Button with all the pictures of the developments during pregnancy and what we got up to as a bit of a keep sake. Surely I’ll have plenty of time on my hands when I step back from work, right?

This was officially my last week of private clients, until post baby. It was lovely to have the final catch ups with clients and found out another client had fallen pregnant, so amazing how many clients and friends are pregnant, tis definitely the season, and I’m so happy to be pregnant/ almost due with my bub so I can support them all where I can. Also inspiring me to get my prenatal yoga classes up and going as soon as I can after bub is born, may be more towards the end of the year, however I have brought some extra bolsters to start getting my collection up for when I do hold the classes.

Speaking of Yoga I went back to a Yoga class this week that was exactly what my body was screaming for. The wonderful Sherry at Peregian Beach Yoga, was able to work with the pain I’ve had come back, down the back of my left leg. This is due to not engaging my quad correctly and is fabulous to identify as it not only is helping now but will also help my complete yoga practice post baby. I felt so empowered about the remaining of my pregnancy and for the labour to come from the class, and I was needing this physical reassurance from my body seeing it had been weeks since I have done any serious exercise (due to trying to hold baby in). I’m so grateful that my body is still in a good place and strong. I hope I can hold out another week so I can go next weekend to the class.

We ended the week with a date at Sails Restaurant in Noosa (where we had our wedding reception) for the last date before bub comes. Due to the pressure and shocks that I have in my pelvis at night we had a lunch date that was beautiful. We scored a beachfront table and it was a glorious warm day. I do love dining out at special restaurants and at Sails it is always faultless, I highly recommend. It was lovely to sip on my virgin mojito and connect with Sheeds as we chatted about names for our bub-to-be. The naming of child has become quite funny as we are seriously struggling to come up with a name, or even a shortlist, so we have decided to abort and wait until bub has been born then hopefully by seeing Button face to face it will make things easier. In the meantime feel free to throw any names at me that you love and are a bit different, we are open to help in this department.

Yours in Health

Talita