Last Monday we had another check up with the doctor. At this visit we went over the usual stuff: urine test, blood pressure check, bump measurement and listened to the baby’s heartbeat.
Starting the last check up, our appointments are now scheduled for every other week. This has the unfortunate side effect of meaning it’s harder to get those wonderful first appointments.
At the appointment, the doctor said the glucose tolerance test showed I am slightly anemic. So I’m now on an iron supplement. Big key here to remember is iron and calcium do not mix, and it’s best taken on an empty stomach (so mixing doesn’t happen). This is difficult to do when you’re trying to keep calcium intake high for strong baby-bones and you’re a cheese addict (thanks, Mom! 😉 ). One week in and I’ve managed not to forget one pill. Yay!
The appointment was generally unexciting, as most check-ups are. However, this was the first time we actually remembered to write down our questions and bring them. Here’s what they were:
- Q:Â When does maternity leave generally start?
- A:Â Companies will generally not let leave start before four calendar weeks before your due date.
This means October 24th for me, which is a Sunday, so probably the Friday before. I’m still trying to figure out how to manage to travel with the hubby a few days before that…
- Q:Â Birth plans. Do they recommend them?
- A:Â We will respect your wishes. People tend to get too specific in their plan and don’t allow for much room for unexpected situations.
So come to the hospital with an open mind, but don’t be afraid to speak your wants & needs. Check.
- Q:Â How to they feel about doulas?
- A:Â They’re great if you can afford one.
Excellent! This more or less got Jason to agree hiring a birth doula would be a good idea. After all, neither of us have done this before, so having someone there to help direct is through the process and act as a buffer between the hospital staff and us would probably be helpful, if not invaluable. If you don’t know what a doula is, check out DONA.
In my search for a birth doula, and talking to a compassionate doula over the phone, it was strongly suggested we take a natural birth class in preparation. Lucky for us, she teaches such a lass and a new session was starting Monday. If we were interested, we just needed to let her know. She sent her brochure, I talked it over with the hubby, and we signed up.
Talking to Jason after the first class, he made a comment about how he feels more prepared after those two hours than he does after the two hospital classes we’ve taken. With 8 classes to go with the natural birth classes, and 3 hospital classes coming up, I’m tempted to cancel some of the hospital classes.
Now if only I could figure out when to start working on our assigned homework…!
