Friday, November 28, 2008

UNICEF BFI Conference Day Two

I won't go into all the details like I did the other day, [I wrote that before I wrote this all out, so that turned out to be a lie] but I'll still share a bit about Day Two, as it was just as good, if not better, than Day One. Again, I'm going by memory, so let's see, what was first...

Oh yes. First was an as yet unpublished study by Mary Renfrew, professor at University of York, on best breastfeeding practice in neonatal units. Because the paper is coming out next year, she asked that any journalists not share her findings publicly, and while I'm not a journalist, I'll still respect that, but basically, it was an extremely informative study trying to determine the best practices for breastfeeding preterm babies. Immediately following her was Elizabeth Jones from North Straffordshire Hospital explaining the differences between preterm babies and full term babies and how breastfeeding must be treated in an entirely separate context for this group of vulnerable babies and how these 'best practices' should be implemented in hospitals. Again, it was very informative, and I really enjoyed both speakers. I can't remember which one said this, but one of them pointed out that they view breast milk in a preterm baby as a medical treatment, not a social choice, because no matter what the formula companies say, the two things a preterm baby needs for development and protection, which are long chain fatty acids and IgG [an immunoglobulin], cannot be added to formula adequately because a preterm baby will simply excrete these things without being able to use them (because they have yet to produce pancreatic lipases)*, whereas they are pre-digested in human breast milk. The other thing from these two lectures that I was most startled by is the fact that one study showed that the average yield of a breast pump is only 4% of a mother's available milk! There's some good news for those mums who look at their milk output in a pump and worry they don't have enough milk! But the reason this was pointed out was more to show caregivers how difficult it is for mother's of preterm babies to persevere with breastfeeding if it is all by pump and to encourage HPs to give the utmost support to these women.

There was then a lecture by UNICEF on how they are prepared to help hospitals achieve Baby Friendly status, and following that there were two talks about The Baby Cafe and the Little Angels peer support projects. Both were interesting and inspiring, though for those of us peer supporters in the area we are in, which has staggeringly low breastfeeding rates, we were more inspired by the Little Angels story, as they started from nothing too!

After lunch was perhaps my favourite lecture of the day. Dr Martin Ward Platt from the Royal Victoria Infirmary discussed neonatal hypoglycaemia evidence and recommendations for practice. It was incredible. I don't think he shared any 'new' information, just information we didn't know! He basically explained how the first few hours of ANY baby's life is the WORST time to check blood glucose levels because EVERY baby experiences a severe plummet in glucose as soon as they are detached from the placenta; the level is so low that in any normal adult, we would be absolutely comatose. He explained why then healthy, full term babies seem so alert and conscious despite this massive drop in glucose. Basically (I'll probably totally butcher this, but hopefully you'll get the picture), the stress of birth causes the baby's body to (getting out notes now) breakdown protein, which produces lactate, which the brain actually prefers to glucose. So in those first few hours where the stress of birth is still present and there is usually no maternal lactation for feeding**, the baby is fully sustained by lactate. Eventually, the stress of birth wears off and the liver begins using its store of glucose until the mother's milk comes in. When the liver stores of glycogen run out, protein breakdown slows and then hormonal control takes over to breakdown the baby's store of fat to produce ketones (which aren't the evil thing we are all conditioned to believe they are), which fuels the baby on until the mother's milk comes in***. Therefore, in 'high-risk' babies, it is important to withhold glucose testing for several hours (even past 4) to allow the body to regulate. Testing for glucose too early (in any baby) just means the care giver is likely to give formula or glucose supplements, and many babies will be treated unnecessarily. I love the way he stated it - Reaching for formula resolves no one's stress levels except the person reaching for the formula. He also talked about how much more important it is to check the baby's level of consciousness as a better indication of hypoglycaemia than anything else (if the baby is alert and responsive, he is most likely just fine, but if he is floppy and unresponsive, by all means, check the glucose), which he restated over and over. Anyway, there was a lot more to it than just that, but as I'm not a doctor or midwife, that's the part I found most interesting and useful to know.

The last lecture of the day was a presentation on a new website called healthtalkonline, which is set up for women to have a place to go for evidence-based information but also for support from other women who have been through similar experiences. It's actually surprisingly good (at least the breastfeeding part is, as that's the part the researcher showed us at the conference), so I recommend having a browse. You can watch video interviews of all kinds of different women discussing their experiences.

In the end, I thought the conference was wonderful, and I'm so thankful I was able to attend. I learned so much and wish everyone in the health profession who deal with women and breastfeeding could've been there! Next year's conference is in South England... we're already talking about saving up for it! (But then, my 10 year class reunion is in 2010 in America, and I think I'd rather save up for that...)



*As it has been pointed out in my comments below, there is a very small percentage of women (somewhere between 1%-3%, are the stats I have found) who are unable to produce milk, or enough milk. This is multiplied in women who have preterm babies, particularly before 36 weeks, whose breast tissues and mammary glands have not had ample time to fully develop. If lactation cannot be sustained, donor breast milk ought to be the next option for these vulnerable babies.

**An audience member asked him what he thought about colostrum, as newborns who are breastfeeding do receive colostrum, but he said there isn't enough study on colostrum to add it to his findings, and that colostrum should be studied more extensively.

***If a mother's milk does not arrive within a couple of days, the baby once again goes into stress, and the protein breakdown begins again, producing lactate and fueling the brain that way until the milk comes in, which is why again the baby still seems so alert, although perhaps a bit peeved, even after several days with no proper milk.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

For Those Who Care... (Would that be anyone?)

The UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative conference started today. Oh my gosh, it was so good. Off memory, the topics lectured on were the Millenium Cohort Study done by Dr Maria Quigley of the University of Oxford. It was a great lecture and the study was done using very good science. Ah, the joy of using my brain again. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to her explain their study on the effect of breastfeeding on hospitalisation cases of diarrhoeal disease and respiratory infection. Seriously, they used such good science. It made my heart leap with joy. She showed that exclusively breastfed babies did indeed have a significantly lower rate of hospitalisation for the two diseases they looked at, and that not breastfed babies as well as mix-fed babies, had much higher incidences. The only complaint I had was that as always, it was stated that breastfeeding 'reduces the risks' rather than formula increases the risks. Though I understand her reasons for stating it as she did (the number of formula-fed babies is so much higher that they formed her base group, but still, formula shouldn't be the 'norm' or we'll never come around to seeing breastfeeding in it's proper physiological context), it would've been interesting to hear the facts stated in a different way. Nevertheless, it was a really great lecture.

Next was Dr Peter Blair of the University of Bristol discussing SIDS and dummy use/ bed-sharing. I didn't enjoy this lecture as much as I expected to, seeing as it was the major topic I was looking forward to. The man's a scientist, so I don't blame him, but he went a bit too fast and his charts and graphs were hard to follow as they weren't labeled very well for a fast run-through of his study called the SWISS Study (South West Infant Sleep Situation study - no links as this is an unpublished study as of yet). It was still interesting though. I agreed somewhat with some of his conclusions, but after the amazing thoroughness of Dr Quigley's research, I felt there were a lot of factors he didn't consider, or at least didn't mention. His final conclusion was that there is no conclusion on whether dummy use prevents SIDS (thank you) and that bed-sharing is still not safe enough to recommend (which again, I somewhat agree with, especially as he put it with all the factors that our culture needs to deal with first like soft mattresses, heavy duvets, pillows, alcohol, sleeping pills, smoking, etc.) But I would've liked to see more evidence of what bed-sharing amongst breastfeeding mums shows in regards to SIDS, rather than lumping all bed-sharing together. He did, however, which I think was wonderful, separate the situations in which bed-sharing was actually sofa/chair-sharing and when there was alcohol or drug use involved, which changed the numbers drastically.

Let's see, what else. There was an address on the Scottish Government's support on breastfeeding, an update on the Baby Friendly Intitiative changes and some information on a study done to acertain certain interventions needed for promoting breastfeeding.

Then came my other favourite lecture of the day. Dr Suzanne Colson, of Canterbury Christ Church University, spoke on her study regarding 'Biological Nurturing'. I'd never heard of this before, but in short, she discussed how sitting upright and feeding a baby in the cradle position isn't biological to mammals and showed how simply lying back seems to often correct the problem of latch with many babies and mothers, much as other mammals lie to feed with babies lying on their tummies. It dealt with infant reflexes and innate behaviours as opposed to learned behaviours regarding breastfeeding. It was fascinating. Simply fascinating. It was also very emotive, as she showed videos of her research - videos of mothers trying to breastfeed - and it was beautiful. Sounds silly, but I was so moved, I had contractions through her entire presentation! She could've talked for hours, and I would've been fully enraptured (minus the contractions, of course). I'm very, very interested in obtaining a copy of her DVD and of her published study (the latter I will try to get tomorrow at the conference, as she'll have a few copies available at one of the stands).

All in all, it was a fantastic day. We were all giddy throughout the whole thing. I am so looking forward to tomorrow. Not only do I love feeling my brain go back into education mode (analysing data and taking notes and deciding for myself what I think of the research and the methodology - oh, it makes me want to be a student again), but the topic is so close to my heart, I'm completely spellbound.

It's now 2.30am. I should be asleep. I was, too, but I keep waking all night long. I've had a bite to eat now, so I think I should go back to bed. After I run back through all of this and link away.

Good night.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

I Slept!

Ahhh...

I slept so well last night. Even if my dreams were about Lost mixed with characters from Scrubs. Fi woke me up at 6 this morning, all cute, with just a tap on the shoulder and a 'Mum?' She gave me a hug and cuddled up next to me for a few minutes while I came to. It was sweet.

And no heartburn!

Let me tell you my new heartburn secret. Apple Cidar Vinegar. It is HORRIBLE. But I've been taking a tablespoon every night before going to bed (and I have to shoot it fast and then reel for a few seconds afterwards), but if I have been responsible at dinner and not eaten a big or naughty meal, it works! It actually works even when I have been naughty, like the other night when I ate nearly a whole large pepperoni pizza (yikes!). The heartburn was at least kicked until sometime mid night, at which point I just took the easy way out and guzzled some Gaviscon. But seriously. My midwife suggested ACV at the very start, and I bought some but couldn't bring myself to try it. It just seemed so terrible. And it is. But wow, it really seems to work when nothing else does. My friend Carol swears by baking soda in water, but I don't know in what quantities.

Anyway, great sleep last night. Best in days.

Today is 'Thanksgiving'. I need to nip to the shop to buy some last minute things, like turkey gravy (just gonna cheat and buy it pre-made), green beans (my mom pointed out that I had nothing green planned) and milk. And bread, since I used all our bread up last night for the stuffing, and now we've got nothing for breakfast and lunches this week.

I'm feeling good. Amazing what one night of sleep can do for you, eh?

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Please Don't Shout at Me!

I know most of you who have children are going to pelt me with tomatoes for saying this but...

I just discovered my first stretch mark.

I managed to get through the entirety of my pregnancy with Fifi without any, and so far I'd made it through this one too. But today I noticed the start of a stretch mark right above my belly button. I was really hoping I'd bypass them again this time. Yet another reason to hope for an earlier baby rather than a later one.

Please don't send me hate mail; it's all about genetics, guys!

Thanksgiving

We're having our Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow. It's a Sunday lunch; not very traditional, I know, but then again, it's not a tradition at all in GB, so I'm allowed to bend the rules. It occurred to me only this morning that that means not only lots of cooking needs to be done but cleaning too! Our rug in our living room is covered in paint and food stains; I just can't bear the thought of getting on my hands and knees and cleaning it. Maybe if I'm feeling energetic enough tonight, I'll have Scott put Fifi to bed, and I'll get out the carpet cleaner. It's one of those jobs that has to wait until kids are away due to the chemicals, so it's not really putting it off.

I also need to clean the bathroom (not a big job, I know, but not enjoyable either), the kitchen (the floors could do a real mop, but since my wonderful mother bought me a 'swiffer sweeper' type thing, that job can be cut in half as far as effort goes) and the living room. The 'dining table' which is more a craft table than anything else will need seriously cleaned off, which is harder than it sounds as I have NO place to put things like my sewing machine other than there. I've also been meaning to go through Fifi's toy box and move some toys upstairs to clean the toy corner for the Christmas tree, so I might as well do that today too.

And I need to clear out the staircase. It's loaded down with things that need to go upstairs but have no place once they get there.

On top of house chores, I need to go to the grocery store to get a few things, and Fifi has Cameron's 4th birthday party to attend this afternoon. My hope beyond hopes is that she will nap around 12 until time to go to the party, which will give me some optimal cleaning time for tomorrow's festivities.

I'm also debating whether to do lots of cooking today and reheat tomorrow or just skip church and do it all in the morning. I think that's the most likely, except for maybe the pumpkin pie (though actually I really LOVE hot pumpkin pie straight from the oven). Oh my, if Thanksgiving weren't my favourite holiday of the year, I'd just let it slide this time, but no. I love it too much. It is worth the effort.

Though I cheated (as always) on the turkey. Usually I buy a frozen cooked crown breast, but our guest list is small this year, as I let Scott make it this time, so a crown breast is too much (not to mention too expensive). So I just bought some turkey steaks, and I'll bake them. I've never made a real, full turkey, and I'm not too bothered about trying anytime soon.

Let me just ask - does my overuse of parenthetic remarks drive you crazy? I'm a parenthesis girl; I even speak in them.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Preparations, Preparations

I'm tired. Very tired. I know I should go to bed, but there are a gazillion (yes, a gazillion) things I need to do before little Spooce comes. In the immediate, it's things like laundry, dishes (though I've been keeping my dishes surprisingly up-to-date), hoovering (not so up-to-date) and a few other errand-type things, like mailing my mom's package and all my Christmas cards, grocery shopping and the last of my Christmas shopping. My idea for Scott's present didn't work out, so I've got to think up something new... Nothing will beat having gotten him that case of Mean Pig BBQ Hot Sauce, I tell you. (And I mean that. And Scott will vouch for that.) In the long term, it's stuff like clearing out Fifi's room, getting baby stuff all ready, putting in car seat, etc.

Boring stuff to talk about, I know.

I've got our Thanksgiving dinner planned for this Sunday, which I need to get organised for. Yes, I know that Thanksgiving is two weeks away, and I'm also well aware that there is no such thing as Thanksgiving in Scotland, but I'm having a dinner and I'm having it early and that's that. I am CRAVING me some stuffing with cranberry sauce and some pumpkin pie. Oh man, pumpkin pie. My mouth waters.

Ick, that means I definitely need to get the house tidied.

I'm also planning on decorating for Christmas next weekend. I might wait until after 'Thanksgiving'; it depends. Scott wants to wait until the 1st December, but um, I'm hoping to have a baby, like, the day after my conference. So the tree needs to be UP and beautifully decorated before then.

I love Christmas.

Anyway, back to that whole being tired thing. I should really just say stuff it to the laundry and go to bed. There's no room left on the clothes horse anyway for the things in the wash. I'll hang them up tomorrow when the other clothes might possibly be dry.

Night night.

Friday, November 14, 2008

UNICEF Baby Friendly Conference

No one else seems to find this nearly as exciting as I do, but I've gotten a ticket to attend the UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative Annual Conference! The Baby Friendly Initiative is (in short) a list of criteria a hospital must follow regarding breastfeeding and infant care in order to achieve 'Baby Friendly' status. I don't know if Baby Friendly is in the US, but it's in Europe, and it's meant to be very prestigious. However, in my opinion, it seems the status gets thrown about more in the UK than it does in other areas of Europe.

Anyway, I'm so, so excited about going! It's in two weeks time, which means I'll be 38 weeks pregnant, so now I'm really hoping I don't go before then. I'd really hate to miss this conference! The tickets were expensive, but luckily I didn't have to pay for them, as the Inverclyde Community Health Project (of the NHS) sponsored me and the three other Breastfeeding Network Trainee Supporters to go. We are all so thrilled!

In other news, my friends Sarah and Lorna are throwing me a baby shower tomorrow. I don't know if many people will be there, as the invitations were sent out kind of last minute, but it should be fun. I made an angel food cake for the occasion, but it kinda turned out... wrong. It's a hard cake to make from scratch, I tell you! It's getting those egg whites at just the right peaks and then folding in the flour/sugar mixture... I didn't want to over-mix, so I ended up under-mixing and half of the flour/sugar mixture ended up at the bottom of the bundt pan (which is the top of cake) and baked very densely. So the bottom of the cake is fluffy and light, while the top is dense and moist. Eek. Tastes okay but not perfect.

That's all for now.


ETA: Click here and here to read about the conference.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Could I Be Any More of a Disaster?

The good news is, baby is still safely inside my womb.

The bad news is, I'm on crutches.

Yesterday morning getting ready to take Scott to work, I slipped outside in the mud and fell into the splits. Luckily, I caught myself on the car before going all the way down, but I pulled all the muscles in my pelvis. I thought the pain would subside, but it only grew worse and worse as the moments passed by. I ended up having to cancel my baby signing class last minute and get taken into the hospital (what's with me and these hospitals??) By the time we reached the hospital, I could no longer walk properly, so I had to be wheeled about in a wheelchair - very embarrassing. I was taken up to the maternity ward, and the baby was checked first. She is fine. Then I was seen by a physiotherapist who was surprised by how 'bad off' I was. She brought me crutches and a support band and a support belt and taught me how to move without further injuring myself. She showed me how to use the crutches, how to get in and out of bed and off of chairs, etc. She gave me the strongest support belt they had, which looked like a very unattractive girdle. They wheeled me back down and my wonderful mother-in-law, who drove me there, drove me back to her house, where I am now on some sort of 'bed rest'. I basically damaged my symphysis pubis something-or-other, which some of you who have been pregnant before will be able to sympathise with.

I'm staying now at my in-laws' house for a few days to ensure I rest. If I were at home, it would be impossible not to do chores. There are so many things that need done there! There's the laundry, the hoovering, the dishes... So Scott's dad has Fifi for the day, and I'm stuck here, trying to keep myself entertained. I watched Gordon Brown's press conference (what a boring man), and now I'm watching the Armistice Day festivities in France. Can you believe there are still 3 living British veterans of WW1? They are something like 108, 110 and 111.

I suppose some more good news is that today I feel much more mobile than I was yesterday. The support belt, crutches, rest and pelvic excercises seem to have really helped already. I can now shuffle around the house without the crutches, though if I were to leave the house (which I'm not allowed), I'd still need them. But the pain is much less than it was yesterday, so that is a very, very good thing.

The house phone here is ringing... what does one do when someone else's house phone rings? It stopped. Good. Sorry, whoever you were.

Friday, November 07, 2008

Take It Back

I take it all back. I don't want a premature baby. Please, baby, wait three more weeks at least.

Midwife concerned about descended head. Now so am I.

Baby Baby

Ugh. Last night I started to feel like the baby was a little lower, but this morning I'm sure of it. Either that, or there's a baseball rammed down into my pelvis. Perhaps I'm just impatient and so I'm creating close-to-birth symptoms, I don't know. But I feel truly waddle-y. This pregnancy is so strange compared to my last one. With Fifi, it was like my body knew not it wasn't meant to go into labour with her, so I never had contractions or any kind of pre-labour symptoms until 5 days prior to my scheduled section when it decided it was time to get her out - then it all happened at once, though slowly enough for us to react accordingly and safely. Does that make sense?

This time, it's like my body's been in preparation for months. I started getting Braxton-Hicks contractions somewhere around the 20th week, and I've had them ever since. I had that round of real contractions a week ago. I'm sure the baby is descending now. I'm willing to bet these things will continue to compound until they culminate into full-blown labour. I guess the baby really ought to wait it out another three weeks, but I can't imagine waiting even that long. It's five weeks until my due date. I think I will pull out my brains if I go longer than that. I need to get this baby OUT.

I also need to stop walking while holding my lower pelvis. I look like a toddler on the way to the toilet. I just feel like I've got to hold this baby in. It is so all up in my personal space.

Here's me, at 35 weeks (yesterday):



This is me at 35 weeks +1 (today):



It's possibly the fact that I'm wearing jeans in one picture and pajama bottoms in the other that skews the reality of the placing of my belly, but my bump totally looks lower today than it did last night. Even if it is a false comparison, it fuels the illusion that my baby will come soon, and that's an illusion I need to hold onto to ensure my sanity for the next few weeks.



See?


ETA: Okay, even though Scott tells me this is entirely unscientific, I took a more accurate shot, of me in the same jeans and belt as yesterday. Just really wanted to prove this to myself. I'm a crazy person.

Thursday, November 06, 2008

My New Favourite Blog

I know the title to the post I'm linking to is 'This Made Me Laugh 'Til I Cried', but seriously, this made me laugh 'til I cried. And I just kept laughing and crying. Most recent page here but read the older posts too. Can't. Stop. Laughing. (Or crying.)

It's making my bump hurt I've laughed so much.

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Why Oh Why....

... don't we have an Old Navy?

My To-Dos

The list of things to do before the baby arrives doesn't seem to get any shorter, no matter how many things I cross off. Because for every one thing I cross off, I add two more. Right now I'm trying to pack my hospital bag, but for some reason, even though a list has been made, I'm making very slow progress. I think it's the idea of having to pack things like breast pads and big comfy knickers that just seems too unrealistic. Even though I think I have just about everything I need lying somewhere around the house, the effort of putting it all in one place seems very difficult. I think I'm also pretty uninspired about what bag to put them in. Dumb as it sounds, I really want a new, pretty overnight bag! All I have is a big ugly black one, and a little red one that matches my luggage. Boring. I saw some cute pink polka-dotted ones in the mall yesterday, and even though they were only £8 (a bargain), I couldn't bring myself to spend the money. After all, it's not like I NEED a new bag...

I did, however, buy a new nightdress (£3 - go Primark!) which unbuttons down the front for wearing in the hospital post-partum and two pairs of big, thick knee-high socks (£2 for the pair) to wear instead of slippers (I hate slippers). I probably only need to buy one or two things now, but seriously, it seems so hard.

I also have a gazillion things to do around the house. I've been doing lots of laundry, but even with the sunshine, my washing doesn't get very dry in the freezing cold air outside. And there's only so much room on my clothes horse indoors. And I don't like to run the tumble dryer very often because a) it costs money b) it wastes electricity and c) it doesn't work very well unless it's all small, cottony items like socks and undies.

Then there are all the things to wrap up with TinyTalk and my Christmas cards. My only card order this year - seeing as I didn't advertise AT ALL - was for my mom, and those are done, so that's a relief, but I still need to sell a lot of my assorted ones. And I've got to get next term's signing classes organised before Monday preferably so I can start the pre-booking process. And let's not even talk about taxes which don't need to be filed until 30 January, but I really ought to finish them before December, so I don't have to do taxes with a newborn baby attached to my booby.

And of course, Thanksgiving is coming up, and I'm celebrating it early to keep the stress level low, but that means I've got two weeks to organise that. And Christmas is mostly finished (cards all written out and presents almost all wrapped), but there are still a few odds and ends left to get, like extended family gifts and one thing for Scott that I have yet to order. And the decorating! Scott wants to wait until 1 December, but I really don't! I want to December to be the month of quiet, relaxed bliss while I await the arrival of my second daughter. Anyone want to keep Fifi for the month to make that dream a reality?

Anyway, instead of blogging, perhaps I should be working on some of those To-Dos. I just gotta find my list. First item on the To-Do agenda: Find To-Do List.

Monday, November 03, 2008

Trick Or Treat

So on Halloween night, Spooce McFarlane decided to play a little Halloween Trick or Treat. Around 3.30pm, I started having real contractions while snoozing on the couch with Fifi. The first two weren't too bad; they were very different from my usual Braxton-Hicks, but not terribly uncomfortable. Then came the third one - wowzers. I had to grab Scott's attention (not easy) and get him to take Fifi away, so I could stand up. I stood up, but immediately had to lean over a chair to get through. I breathed my way through it, and it finally eased off. When I stood back up, I felt (possibly TMI upcoming) a tiny release of fluid and an 'opening' sensation. It was then I realised that this was a lot more like labour is described than my BH contractions had been. I decided to get in a bath to slow/stop the contractions. I couldn't stop thinking about that opening feeling, though, so I called my midwife. She thought it all sounded too much like premature labour and advised I call the hospital. I was reluctant, so I decided to wait it out. However, two contractions later, I agreed to call. Of course, they wanted me to come in.

I texted a few people asking for prayer (I was only just 34 weeks), and Scott and I headed to the hospital. Poor Fifi could sense something was wrong and was actually not cool with going to Gran's house for a change.

The prayers must've worked, though, because by the time I got to hospital, all the contractions had stopped. I only had one while I was there, and it was really mild. They sent me back home.

We were really relieved not to have had an early baby (or a Halloween baby at that), but we were both really quite calm about the whole thing. I felt very confident that if this was it, then that's just how it goes and I was gonna go with it. Again, I think that was due to prayers... and possibly my HypnoBirthing affirmations practice. *wink* We thought it was funny that she went 'trick or treating' with us. It turned out to be a trick, but a little baby would've been a treat!

Still, very glad she's still in there and cooking. She's still just a bit too wee to enter the big, oxygeny world. Give us another, oh, 4 weeks, and then I'll be VERY happy to see you. (Come on 38 week baby, please no 42 week one.)