03.03.10
Posted in Oh, Baby, The People's Republic of Cambridge at 10:06 am by fizz
Apparently my labors always last 28 hours and I have babies on Tuesdays. Who knew? Contractions started Monday morning around 8:30, spaced out, speeded up, and were generally inconsistent but painful enough to keep me from sleeping Monday night. By 4:30am contractions were consistently five minutes apart, so I gave my parents a call at 6:30 and mom arrived to entertain G by 7:15. Omer and I headed to the birth center, where Connie, the on duty nurse, told me that I was a mere 3cm dilated. She said that if this were a first baby she’d send me home, but given my last labor I could stay. So we stayed.
I spent the next two hours laboring in and out of the tub, made it all the way downstairs to the first floor in the hopes of taking a walk (contractions were 2 minutes apart, so I didn’t make it as far as the door), and feeling sorry for my doula, Jan, who had nothing to do. G had arrived at the birth center with my parents shortly after 8, but left around 10 due to boredom (”WHERE is baby brother? Where’s the blood?” he asked every time he came in to check on me) and the lure of Grammie’s house. By 10:30 or 11 my contractions were getting far more painful, and I called Jan in to apply counterpressure to my back and hips while Omer scratched my back to take my mind off of the pain. Things sped up from there - I could no longer make polite conversation between contractions, and merely directed Jan and Omer to where I needed them.
My water broke during one of the contractions and was thankfully free of meconium - my last hurdle to staying in the birth center for the birth. I started crying, partially because I was relieved that I wouldn’t have to go to the hospital, and partially because I knew the end was in sight. Two or three contractions later I could tell I was in transition. Transition was the most painful part of my last labor, with contractions almost on top of one another. This time I seemed to get through it in a few contractions. I went back to the tub to push.
At this point the midwife on call, Joyce, joined Connie, Jan and Omer in the very small bathroom to coach me through pushing. Connie took the lead, checked me, and found that I was only 8cm dilated with A’s head pushing on my cervix. For what seemed like the next dozen contractions I was told to NOT push and instead blow out with small breaths. This was nearly impossible, given how strong the urge to push was, and I remember yelling at people to blow with me because I just couldn’t do it by myself. I was finally given the okay to push, and it seemed to take ANOTHER dozen contractions before A was ready to be born. I give full credit to Connie and her amazing coaching - she told me when to push, when to blow, and let me feel A’s head while it was still far up in the birth canal - for the fact that I didn’t tear or require stitches. On the whole the pushing phase was much more painful with A’s labor - I think mainly because Connie made me do it on my back in the tub, instead of on my hands and knees as I’d done with G. I remember flipping onto my back and feeling Jan and Joyce pin my legs up and telling them “This is wrong!” but Connie told me I couldn’t birth on my hands and knees due to the shallow depth of the tub.
Once A was out we encountered the same problem we had with G - a very short cord. We could barely get A up on my chest, and held him awkwardly out of the water until his cord was done pulsing. At that point Omer cut the cord and took A out of the bathroom, and the midwives helped me out of the tub to birth the placenta. As with my previous labor, contractions stopped as soon as the baby was out, so the midwives eventually made me give three (very weak) pushes to get the placenta out.
The midwives then made sure A was able to latch on, and left us alone for about an hour while A nursed. They then took his vitals, weighed him (7lbs, 9.3oz!), and returned him to us so we could all have lunch and a nap. After naps I got to take a shower, and then our pediatrician came to check him out. I love our pediatrician, Dr. Meikrantz. He’s a family doctor (so he also sees Omer as well as G) and he’s got a great demeanor with kids. I was very impressed that he was willing to come all the way to the birth center to check A out!
After Dr. Meikrantz left we filled out our paperwork (most ironic form? The one to which I was supposed to attach A’s non-existent hospital bracelet, and certify that he was really my infant. The only time he was out of my sight was when Omer took him out of the bathroom, so I guess I’ll just have to trust that Omer didn’t make a switch on me), got a list of future appointments, and left! We were discharged 10 hours after we arrived, and less than six hours after the birth.
Big bruvver G met us back at our house, and I’m happy to say that he seems fascinated with A. So far he’s been great about washing hands before touching the baby, not putting any hard objects near him, and carrying stuff for diaper changes. We’ll see what happens when the novelty wears off, but right now I’m so proud of G!
All in all, I prefer the experience I had at the birth center to the home birth - mainly because of the coaching I got during labor and the excellent post-partum care at the birth center (it didn’t hurt that we were able to abscond with extra receiving blankets, pads, peri bottles and other assorted goodies!). I was impressed with how efficient yet caring the birth center staff were, and the speed with which they made follow up appointments for both me and A.
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02.23.10
Posted in Knitting at 9:12 pm by fizz
G: You knitting anything now, mama?
Me: No, did you want me to knit you something?
G: How about a hat!
Me: What color?
G: Red! Let’s do it!
Off to pull some red yarn from my stash. Or maybe rainbow, to match his scarf.
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02.08.10
Posted in random at 9:53 am by fizz
After much deliberation, Omer and I have decided use* Birth Center associated with Cambridge Hospital for BT2’s birth. Omer was pushing hard for another home birth, but due to a combination of lack of space and lack of insurance coverage I picked the birth center. So far, we’ve had nothing but good experiences with the midwives at Cambridge Hospital. They’re very nice, generally on time, and allowed me to space out my appts to every six weeks during the early part of the pregnancy. And they always admire my current knitting project.
Today marks the day that BT2 becomes eligible for the birth center - he is officially 37 weeks, and (although I suspect he’ll stay in his warm and comfy digs for another three weeks) I am really ready for him to be born!
* I told my midwife that I am using her for her birthing tub. She thought I was joking….
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02.04.10
Posted in Dance at 9:08 pm by fizz
I haven’t been very good about taking pictures during this pregnancy, but I have had the opportunity to belly dance. Twice.
22 weeks at a benefit for the Massachusetts Humane Society:
Lilya with Fan Veils
34 weeks at Arisia:
Lilya at Arisia
I’m not happy with my performance at Arisia (smile, dammit!), but I think it’s a great record of how I looked and moved at that point in the pregnancy.
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Posted in Oh, Baby at 11:19 am by fizz
My mother asked me to find an anatomically correct boy doll for G to play with when his new brother arrives. I dutifully went to Henry Bear’s Park at closing time, whispered my request to the poor guy working there, and was shown where the only anatomically correct boy doll was shelved. “But you should know,” said the guy, “that he’s uncircumcised. A parent asked once so we called the company to check.”
The quest for a circumcised version of the doll was a fruitless one. Apparently nobody makes anatomically correct circumcised boy dolls that drink and pee and use the potty. Isn’t there a Jewish niche market for this?
I eventually gave up my search and bought the uncircumcised version, and Omer has suggested that we use a dremel to alter the doll’s boy bits when the baby has his bris. I just don’t want G to get any ideas about using a dremel on his brother….
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10.27.09
Posted in random at 10:24 pm by fizz
G: You need privacy?
Me: Yes! Thanks! That’d be great!
[G closes door so that he's in the bathroom with me]
Me: Uhm…can I have privacy please?
G: Yes! You have privacy! Now Aba can’t see you!
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10.05.09
Posted in random at 1:39 pm by fizz
The little guy’s a thumb sucker, and just as cute as his big bro. We look forward to meeting him at the end of February! 
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08.19.09
Posted in random at 3:01 pm by fizz
- For the record, SwissAir (which I guess is now just Swiss) has the worst business class EVER. Seats recline to NOT QUITE FLAT, otherwise known as the angle at which to best vibrate a passenger down to the footrest during strong turbulence. It was a looooong flight, but at least we got good food, real utensils and drinks. And G even scored a doggie bag of breakfast treats because he slept through breakfast.
- On the other hand, the Swiss arrivals lounge is pretty nice, especially if you don’t have an overtired toddler who suffers a massive meltdown because you’re trying to change him out of his jammies.
- Swiss trains run on time. To the second. It’s pretty awesome.
- The Swiss do not use air conditioning, even in malls. It’s been 95 degrees here the last couple days, and all we do is sit in patches of shade and pant while the kids play on the playground.
All our travels and photos are up on G’s website ….
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06.18.09
Posted in random at 2:56 pm by fizz
G’s room:
Kitchen from G’s doorway:
Other side of the kitchen - awesome views!
Living room:
The giant Pride flag at the intersection of Castro and Market - where we pick up the train. It’s a quick walk to the train, but a LOOOOONG walk back!
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06.17.09
Posted in random at 11:42 pm by fizz
G and I hit the SF zoo this afternoon. The zoo itself was great - sheep and goats wandering around to be petted and fed, peacocks also wandering free, great playgrounds - but getting there was a pain.
The L train theoretically stops at the zoo - a handicapped accessible stop, meaning it’ll be easy to load and unload the stroller and kid. But on the way there the driver announced that the last stop was the one *before* the zoo. “What about the next stop?” I asked. “Look,” she snapped, “I have five minutes to pee, so get off now.” The lower step on these trains is about a foot off the ground, just high enough for the BOB stroller wheels to get wedged under it, so I had a panicked few seconds worrying that she’d drive off before I could free the stroller.
On the return trip it was even worse - I trundled the stroller up the handicapped access ramp at the zoo station, and the next train drove right by me, with the operator signaling that I should go to the non-stroller friendly far end of the stop. Then she drove away as I was walking up to the door. I had to ask someone to help lift the stroller onto the next train…again, the wheels wedged under the door and I couldn’t heft it in. Truly a pain in the ass, compounded by drivers who all appear to have chips on their shoulders.
Coupled with the truly nasty looks I received while waiting on a Muni platform at rush hour with a stroller I have to say I’m not impressed with the SF transit system. We’ll head for a different route tomorrow and see how the stroller fares on a bus….
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