So, the guesses are flying around. Boy or girl?
It really has highlighted to me that we are stuck on identifying babies by what colour they wear. In my brain, I think defiantly "What does it matter if a baby boy was wearing pink, or a baby girl blue?" But why? why does it seem sort of okay that a baby girl wears blue and not so okay for a baby boy to wear pink? Is this just MY neuroses? Are we so conditioned to think certain colours are masculine or feminine? Do we need to impose this kind of pressure on a newborn?
But of course the other part of me wants to save having to explain the gender and just go with the imposed colour coding of babies.
Some of the people wanting to buy baby clothing are at odds as to what colour to buy. Couldn't there be more neutral coloured clothing? It's such a funny thing. One of the sites I was on even made you choose which gender your baby was before they even let you LOOK at clothing.
LOW BELLY: People say because I am "carrying low" that it means I am having a boy. Another person even said because I didn't have morning sickness that it was a boy. I don't really have a strong feeling either way and to tell you the truth, I don't really care as long as it's a human!
WHAT DO YOU THINK? Comment and give your vote.
Jennifer
Friday, April 11, 2008
Monday, April 7, 2008
Who is EMMA anyways?
So, in the process of this whole adventure, I have learned some startling things:
1) I am a geriatric mother. Yes, GERIATRIC. Didn't think I would hear that word for well over 40 years.
2) The word RISK and how it can poke you in the eye or sound like someone is screaming it in the middle of a regular sentence.
3) How the medical profession is really less about people and more about science experiments, statistics, politics, and money. (sorry to those of you who are my friends that are in the medical world...let me rant here for a bit)
I am 38 years old and feel like I am in the body of someone 25. When I think of the things I have done in my life, I seriously feel like there is no way I have been alive long enough to have experienced all that I have. But, I get lumped into the RISK category of being "Advanced Maternal Age" (which means anyone over 35)
Within this, of course is the suggestion that you test for extra things you might not otherwise test for. In allowing that little door to open a crack, suddenly you could wind up being part of a drive for statistics.
Now, don't get me wrong. I feel so fortunate that in Canada we have the amazing medical system we have. Most of the time I feel like the general public has way to much expectation and takes for granted the services that we have. But in this situation, I am a super healthy, pregnant woman and if I had never indulged in wanting to have some tests done, I wouldn't have opened myself up for this monitoring.
My blood pressure has ranged anywhere between 110/75 to 115/80
I have gained approximately 15 pounds or so (maybe more...haven't weighed in a bit)
The baby's heart rate has been between 130 and 150
I have seen all of it's limbs (minus the gender determining bits) and it has all it's fingers, toes, nice long legs, what look like big feet, all the necessary compartments in the brain, heart, liver. It even turned to me today and yawned as it tried to shield itself from the ultrasound waves. (no pictures please!) It is thumping gently on my bladder right now as I speak.
So, what I keep asking is...if I had never asked for ANY tests, would they be worried about anything being wrong with me? The tests they give you are screens and not diagnostics. Meaning that you are put on a graph and there is a large number of "false positives" (this term makes me crazy) So, because it looked like something "might" (another maddening, non specific word) be high, they launch me into what they call the
EMMA CLINIC
Now, the Emma Clinic is a research project started by a doctor named Dr. VonDaedelson (sp?) They are doing studies to help determine why people end up with any range of complications from low birth weight, to pre-eclampsia and as far as still birth. I am so low on the end of "low risk" that it's silly. They just need me to round out their research. As I waited in the examining room the other day I even noticed that they are actively RECRUITING people to do what I am doing. And all because I was curious and made myself open and available for the first test.
I asked the Dr why I couldn't find anything about the Emma Clinc on line and he said something about intellectual property and how they were still in the developmental stages. This sounds creepy and like some bad movie to me.
That being said. My midwife gets a good giggle when Bill and I show up and negotiate how little we have to deal with these people. She is willing to go along with us and feels confident that we can work together with her and involve EMMA as little as possible.
I went today for a measurement ultrasound and everything seemed like it was great. I noticed as she typed on my file that she read that they had suggested I go back every two weeks for tests and she inquired as to whether I had booked another appointment. I told her no, that my midwife and I would schedule it if need be.
All through this, I can't help but be reminded that this is just the beginning of dealing with these kind of issues. Once the child is out...then we will be dealing with all sorts of controversial topics like vaccines etc.
Training...it's training for being a mother. Just like he millions of times I have to get up and pee in the night. I'm getting really good a the sleep walking pee.
Glad I had an audience to rant to.
Thanks and good night all!
Jennifer
1) I am a geriatric mother. Yes, GERIATRIC. Didn't think I would hear that word for well over 40 years.
2) The word RISK and how it can poke you in the eye or sound like someone is screaming it in the middle of a regular sentence.
3) How the medical profession is really less about people and more about science experiments, statistics, politics, and money. (sorry to those of you who are my friends that are in the medical world...let me rant here for a bit)
I am 38 years old and feel like I am in the body of someone 25. When I think of the things I have done in my life, I seriously feel like there is no way I have been alive long enough to have experienced all that I have. But, I get lumped into the RISK category of being "Advanced Maternal Age" (which means anyone over 35)
Within this, of course is the suggestion that you test for extra things you might not otherwise test for. In allowing that little door to open a crack, suddenly you could wind up being part of a drive for statistics.
Now, don't get me wrong. I feel so fortunate that in Canada we have the amazing medical system we have. Most of the time I feel like the general public has way to much expectation and takes for granted the services that we have. But in this situation, I am a super healthy, pregnant woman and if I had never indulged in wanting to have some tests done, I wouldn't have opened myself up for this monitoring.
My blood pressure has ranged anywhere between 110/75 to 115/80
I have gained approximately 15 pounds or so (maybe more...haven't weighed in a bit)
The baby's heart rate has been between 130 and 150
I have seen all of it's limbs (minus the gender determining bits) and it has all it's fingers, toes, nice long legs, what look like big feet, all the necessary compartments in the brain, heart, liver. It even turned to me today and yawned as it tried to shield itself from the ultrasound waves. (no pictures please!) It is thumping gently on my bladder right now as I speak.
So, what I keep asking is...if I had never asked for ANY tests, would they be worried about anything being wrong with me? The tests they give you are screens and not diagnostics. Meaning that you are put on a graph and there is a large number of "false positives" (this term makes me crazy) So, because it looked like something "might" (another maddening, non specific word) be high, they launch me into what they call the
EMMA CLINIC
Now, the Emma Clinic is a research project started by a doctor named Dr. VonDaedelson (sp?) They are doing studies to help determine why people end up with any range of complications from low birth weight, to pre-eclampsia and as far as still birth. I am so low on the end of "low risk" that it's silly. They just need me to round out their research. As I waited in the examining room the other day I even noticed that they are actively RECRUITING people to do what I am doing. And all because I was curious and made myself open and available for the first test.
I asked the Dr why I couldn't find anything about the Emma Clinc on line and he said something about intellectual property and how they were still in the developmental stages. This sounds creepy and like some bad movie to me.
That being said. My midwife gets a good giggle when Bill and I show up and negotiate how little we have to deal with these people. She is willing to go along with us and feels confident that we can work together with her and involve EMMA as little as possible.
I went today for a measurement ultrasound and everything seemed like it was great. I noticed as she typed on my file that she read that they had suggested I go back every two weeks for tests and she inquired as to whether I had booked another appointment. I told her no, that my midwife and I would schedule it if need be.
All through this, I can't help but be reminded that this is just the beginning of dealing with these kind of issues. Once the child is out...then we will be dealing with all sorts of controversial topics like vaccines etc.
Training...it's training for being a mother. Just like he millions of times I have to get up and pee in the night. I'm getting really good a the sleep walking pee.
Glad I had an audience to rant to.
Thanks and good night all!
Jennifer
Gifty McGifterton
Gift registries....hmmm. There's something about making a big list of things and sending it to people that makes me feel a little queazy. It feels so presumptious, expectant (much like my basketball belly is beginning to feel) But I guess in order to get what you need and avoid getting 3 of something you already have, it could be considered organized and efficient. Which I AM comfortable with.
Still.....eee, it makes me feel a little strange making these lists. That being said, it WAS fun to go through and see all the amazing new things you can get for this new addition to our family.
I have recently acquired a great bag of clothing that is being passed around our theatre community and it's so great that everyone is able to hand down things to each other. I hope to be able to do the same with all the things I'm sure to collect over the next years. In fact, please be sure to keep me posted, as with the rate babies seem to grow out of things, I'm SURE I will be looking for some lucky person to pass many of my goodies on to.
Here is a list of the places I have registered on line. (stay tuned as I am still going to go visit The Bay to get set up there)
www.gollygeezbaby.com
look me up: jennifer@s2sproductions.com
www.tjskids.com
look me up: Jennifer Bishop
www.toysrus.ca
look me up: Jennifer Bishop or #40587430
www.crocodilebaby.com
look me up: #1859
www.sears.ca
look me up: Jennifer Bishop/#200809245294
Stay tuned for some new posts from us! (we are a little behind)
Jennifer
Still.....eee, it makes me feel a little strange making these lists. That being said, it WAS fun to go through and see all the amazing new things you can get for this new addition to our family.
I have recently acquired a great bag of clothing that is being passed around our theatre community and it's so great that everyone is able to hand down things to each other. I hope to be able to do the same with all the things I'm sure to collect over the next years. In fact, please be sure to keep me posted, as with the rate babies seem to grow out of things, I'm SURE I will be looking for some lucky person to pass many of my goodies on to.
Here is a list of the places I have registered on line. (stay tuned as I am still going to go visit The Bay to get set up there)
www.gollygeezbaby.com
look me up: jennifer@s2sproductions.com
www.tjskids.com
look me up: Jennifer Bishop
www.toysrus.ca
look me up: Jennifer Bishop or #40587430
www.crocodilebaby.com
look me up: #1859
www.sears.ca
look me up: Jennifer Bishop/#200809245294
Stay tuned for some new posts from us! (we are a little behind)
Jennifer
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)