Twists and Turns

Well a lot has happened. It was sprung upon us that Sa had to have a Strep B test - and if positive (like 40% of women are), she couldn't have a home birth and would have to have IV antibiotics during labour. Of course, she tested positive. Not for an infection, but for the presence of normal colonising bacteria. I'm not even going to get into a soliloquoy about this, suffice it to say it's just another example of medicos parading as evidence-based scientists so they don't have to give individualised patient care but can tar everyone with the same brush. Minute risk of complications with a +ve Strep B result? Easy. Spend millions giving 40% of women antibiotics. And the risk of complications from antibiotic-resistant strains of other bacteria? Never you mind. At least we look like we're doing something - and furthermore (and more to the point, methinks), we can't be sued! Looks like I went soliloquising.
So we've booked an independent midwife, Sheila, who seems very competent. Only problem is, she leaves for the U.S. on the 21st. Sa is due on the 18th, so we're keeping our fingers crossed it happends before then, otherwise it's off to the birth centre. But she's assured Sa that it's quite within her rights to refuse anything she doesn't want.
Sheila gave us the birth pool with a foot pump. Wow, wish I had one of those last time. I pumped it up in about 10 minutes as opposed to an hour. I called Sheila from Bunnings last week "I can't find 'drinking quality' water hoses!" Neither could the bumbling and completely unhelpful staff. I found it eventually. So now I can safely fill the birth pool when Sa is ready to go.
Stella is excited about the coming of Noodil. I know she'll be a great big sister.
Oh yeah, Sarah has started having Braxton-Hicks contractions - I reckon she'll give birth before the end of this coming weekend. The due date is the 18th but I feel like this one is really ready to arrive.

It's a ... ?

Most people who have ideas about Noodil's gender (I'm so PC) reckon it will be a boy. I did some dousing as I did for Gloopee and she did turn out to be a girl. Dousing Noodil indicated that she would indeed also be a girl. I don't really have a strong feeling about it as I did with Gloopee, but I suppose whatever you think, you have a 50% chance of being correct, which is pretty high. I'll go with the dousing and say that I reckon it will be another girl. Time will tell.

Sa is definitely bigger than she was last time, and I think she's really starting to feel it. She's very tired and looking forward to maternity leave, only about 6 weeks to go now. We've been a bit blase about it all this time, even forgot one of the midwife appointments. We get there and the midwife says "Any questions?" "Umm...no." Last time we'd pull out our list and go through them all one by one, write the answers down, go home and study. Now we live for that luxury of luxuries if we can get it: The Afternoon Nap.

Noodil does the Tangle

Sarah had a requisite ultrasound on Monday - it turned out to be quite a long day for Stella. The sonographer was getting just a little irritated when Noodil started somersaulting in Sa's tummy. After some time of trying to get a clear shot and Stella starting to go bananas - bored, no afternoon tea, no afternoon sleep and some strange woman squirting evil blue jelly on Mumma's tummy - she'd had enough and called a time out (Sa thinks for a fag). I took Stella for a walk when Sa went in for another round and the pics came out well. When Sa suggested that perhaps the ultrasound was causing Noodil to jump around, she was abruptly admonished with a "No, they don't feel it!" in that special way that hospital workers do so well. You are the patient = ignorant. I am the paramedical professional = all-knowing. I can't help but take the opportunity for a dig at the system...
But, hey, check out the images - Noodil is smiling for the camera!

A Belly Full of Noodil

Sa has reached the "12 week hurdle" and leapt over it - the nausea seems to be much better now (ie: she's not getting as much or as often). This is what Sa and Noodil look like at 12 weeks.

I'm working 3 days a week now and Sa is going back to work in about 4 weeks (dreading it!) for 3 days a week also. So we can cover looking after Stella pretty much - Keelah has offered to take care of Stella on the day that we're both working.
A few days ago, Sa had a really bad stomach ache all night and I was getting really worried, thinking it might be a miscarriage, but it subsided the next day. Quite stressful. I'd better start meditating again...

Noodilin' Aroun'

Well, Sa is just over 8 weeks pregnant. She's been feeling really nauseous (just trying to spell that word makes me feel ill) but she's plodding on regardless - not much choice I guess. We are excited of course, but don't have much time to stop and think about it at the moment. I felt Sa's lower abdomen the other day (in a non-sensical non-sensual sexual sense a la Tim and Debbie) and I thought Noodil was just noodilin' aroun' (a la Ben Elton's programme for "young ah-dults" on the Young Ones). However, I was disppointed to learn that it was probably just gas...the joys of pregnancy.
I'll keep you posted.

Here We Go Again

A few weeks ago, Sarah found out she was pregnant again! We were thrilled and happy, but since then have hardly had time to think about it. Being pregnant and managing a toddler at the same time puts a whole new spin on the affair. Especially when you are suffering from morning sickness...and a cold. Sarah goes back to work in two months and if the pregnancy goes well, it will only be for four months.

I'm trying to make sure I spend a reasonable amount of time thinking about this baby but of course there's no way it's going to have as much attention heaped on it as the first child. I guess Stella will also have to come to terms with having less attention as well, possibly before but certainly after the birth. I'm sure she'll cope, she's pretty strong. Will the parents? We're pretty strong too.

Sa is almost 8 weeks pregnant now, so I guess in a month or so we'll know if things are going well or not. My greatest concern at this point is coming up with a womb-name for the baby (a la "Gloopee" for Stella). I'm working on it.

Also, fantastic news. Sa called St George Hospital Birth Centre to see if there was any chance she could get into their home birth program again. They remembered her immediately and said that she could, of course, go through them again. We're not even in area but those midwives are so lovely. I'm very happy that we have this option. It's unfortunate that at the moment independent midwives are completely unfunded by the government. Homebirth Access Sydney is currently lobbying the ALP to honour their 2007 National Platform commitment to allocate Medicare provider numbers to independent practising midwives and to support them in obtaining professional indemnity insurance so that homebirth becomes a publicly funded reality for those women who want it. At this point in Sydney, the St George program is really the only publicly funded option.

We've only told the immediate families so far and I'm looking forward to that 12 weeks hurdle being cleared. Watch this space.