Finally, a Midwife...I hope.

I am now 16 weeks pregnant and a bit anxious about maternity care. I have been to the GP twice and have had my first ultrasound, but I don't have a lead maternity carer (LMC). In New Zealand, midwives are the most common LMCs as they are free and if you want to be followed for the duration of your pregancy by an obstetrician, it will cost several thousand dollars. I suppose one of the reasons I've been anxious about this is because a coworker who is also pregnant shared her frustrations about all the midwives in her area being "booked up" or "full" early on.
Today I finally managed to get a real person on the phone and chat about meeting for a first appointment, which is actually tomorrow. Working full time hours has made it hard for me to call when there might be someone in their office to speak to and I've not got any replies to voice messages I've left. The hours I work also makes it difficult to find a time that will work, so I was lucky to set up a meeting tomorrow so I can get it out of the way.
At the first appointment, it's about getting to know the LMC and asking any questions you may have about their style, beliefs, back up person, etc. I've not thought too much about this, but managed to find an excellent list of possible questions that the GP gave me which is put out by the Ministry of Health here in NZ. Some of the questions I may ask are:
-How long have you been attending births?
-How many other patients of yours are due about the same time as me?
-Will you provide all of my care or will others be involved?
-Who will provide back up care if you're not able to be there and will I be able to meet them?
-What birthing options do you offer?
-Which hospitals do you have access to?
-How many antenatal visits can I expect to have?
-What happens if I need specialist care during my pregnancy or labour?
-What will your role be if specialist care (including caesarean section) is needed?
-How many post natal visits can I expect?
-Will post natal visits be in the hospital or at home?
-What is the best way to contact you if I have any questions or concerns at any time?

Hopefully with the help of those questions, I will be able to decide if this midwife is right for me. This is someone who I will be seeing relatively often for the next several months and who will be taking a big role in my health at a very important time in my life. Fingers crossed that this one is nice and I won't have to go around making heaps of visits before I find someone I like.

I'm not one to pass up a party

Any reason for a party seems like a good one to me. 3 year old's birthday, I'm there; celebrating a promotion, there too; baby shower - bring it on! Not that I'm hoping to host my own baby shower or anything, but I've been checking out ideas on the web for putting one together. There are tons of websites with squillions of ideas to use at baby showers.
The very best themed shower I've seen online was blogged about by Kendra at MyInsanity. Her sister was acutally the hostess of the party, but Kendra helped think up the theme and design some of the decorations and invitations. The theme was "She's about to POP!" and included things like POPcorn, sodaPOP, POPart, etc. Take a look here at "the coolest baby shower ever".
If my friends and family don't go to such an extreme and amazing effort, I hope they at least take a look for some creative ideas online. Good places to start:
Coolest Baby Shower Ideas
NZ Girl's Guide to the Perfect Baby Shower
Martha's Alphabet Baby Shower
Martha's Noah's Ark Baby Shower
Martha's Spa Shower for Baby

Pro Photo Ponderance

So, I was walking through a shopping mall the other day and noticed a portable photo studio set up and a mother having a photo shoot done of her toddler and infant together. I remember the days of getting dolled up and heading out to the local department store photographer for photos with my younger brother. My mother was proud of her two beautiful children and wanted to have a record of us looking our best. I'm sure this is the sort of thing going through the mind of this mother in the shopping mall also.
I, however, have some misgivings about the quality of image provided by these type of photographers. I think to get good quality images, you're much better off going to a photographer who doesn't need the gimmick of being in a mall to drum up busines. A photographer can create cookie cutter "good" images such as this one of my brother and me in 1987 (this pose or a variation with my brother on the other side was repeated in a 1992 version).

Although this is a photo I look at and enjoy, it's nothing extraordinary. My brother's arm is cut off and there is no special feature to the background. We are what is good about the photo. I think this is the type of photo we could have set up and executed ourselves in our home without any trouble.

When you choose to use a photographer who is more about quality than quantity, you will come up with photos that you will be glad to display as works of art. The following images have been supplied by a Canadian photographer, and friend, Shayna Kerrie of Shayna Kerrie Photography.
These photos have a mood to them. Although the backgrounds are plain, it's unlikely you'd get this quality of light in a mall studio or in your own home unless you're a seasoned photographer. Each of the images is well composed and even though the child in them is not mine, I really do love them. To me, the style is much more sophisticated than that of, say, Anne Geddes, but no less marketable.

The other type of Pro Photos I've been thinking about lately are "belly shots". Shayna has also provided a couple of these for the blog today. I do really enjoy them, but I'm not to that stage in the pregnancy yet. I still feel more like a fat chick than someone who is special and glowing. Perhaps as I progress in my pregnancy and continue to look back on these "belly shots" and others, I will decide to get some done. Or maybe DIY. Hubs has a good camera and is a sometimes aerial photographer so I could let him have a go...
Might be a bit more difficult getting a great couples pose like that second one though! And to mention it, the lighting could be an issue as well. Guess I should start researching some good New Zealand photographers or saving to bring Shayna over for a special shoot ;)

To see more of Shayna's work, including more pregnancy and baby photos, visit her blog or photography website.

Tips for Traveling with a Toddler

My husband and I co-parent his almost 3 year old daughter. We have her about 2.5 days per week, usually over the weekend. Sometimes, we'd like to go out of town when we've got her but it's difficult. While lurking around, today I found these fabulous tips for traveling with a toddler here.

1. Take a mini break every 2-3 hours. Let everyone stretch their legs and get the yayas out. When planning your trip try to coordinate the rest stops at a park or at the very least some where safe away from the roadside for children to run and play. A rest room in the vicinity is a must. Draw a map for your child to follow, add basic markings that they will understand and ask them to point them out along the way. For example: You can add a red car, a big truck, animals which you know you will pass. Use a special mark to indicate your stops and talk the breaks up "when we stop you can run around and play".
2. Surprise packages – this works wonders as little ones get bored pretty quickly. Have a bunch of pre-made packages made up with little surprises in each. I use a zip lock bag for each individual treat. Put in one or two little items that your toddler can play with and bring them out every 30 minutes or so. Items can be a small toy wrapped in tin foil – the unwrapping is fun. Noise makers are better than whining kids although I recommend bringing these out before your nerves are shattered and take them away again when the next item is given – this for your own sanity. Pipe cleaners – they can make all sorts of creations. Magnets in a cookie tin – they can stick the magnets to the lid and put them in the tin for safe keeping later. Chalk and black paper for drawing. Mini magna doodle. The list is endless.
3. Blow bubbles. You can do this from the front passenger seat – send them back for toddler to try and catch. This is great to pull out when you are nearing a rest stop and toddler is getting unsettled.
4. Music – yours or there’s it doesn’t matter as long as you can all sing a long. If you have a particular CD that you play when your toddler naps during the day, take it on the trip with you and put it one when you want him to sleep.
5. Make up a story about the surroundings as you travel. My kids always remember the story of the fairies that live in the forest along the stretch of road heading towards our lake house. This always gets us through the last twenty minutes of the trip when everyone is tired and grumpy. It takes a bit of imagination but the effort is worth it.
6. Snacks, snacks and more snacks! Make sure you pack plenty to eat and drink. Toddlers will not wait for the next comfort stop if they are hungry “NOW”. Schedule a picnic stop – much nicer on a fine day than a road side eatery. Avoid high sugar food which tends to offer instant gratification which does not last past the last bite.
7. Pack a porta potty – again when you got to go you got to go! Make sure you have plenty of wipes too.
8. When all else fails resort to a portable DVD player – these have been a sanity saver in our car!
9. Safety: If you’ve ever had one of your little darlings undo their seatbelt while you’re driving, you’ll think these seatbelt “ANGEL GUARDS” are a fantastic idea. They securely cover the red release button on the seatbelt and deter small fingers from undoing their belt, yet only take seconds for an adult to remove.
10. Travel in our family has been revolutionized by the award winning Snack and Play Travel Tray. Crash tested by a federally recognized laboratory in the USA. Snack & Play Travel Tray is made of soft, durable, 100% Nylon. It buckles either around the child, car seat, stroller, or chair and has side pockets and a 2 inch wall to stop toys and food from falling off the tray.

I think the best of these tips is #7 - Pack a port a potty. I'm always looking for public restrooms when we've got the wee one!
Travel potty by Cool Gear - review here

Vaccination Station

My current job is working as an Occupational Health Nurse. I teach first aid and basic health education, I do basic health and wellness checks and I provide influenza immunizations when 'flu season rolls around.

It's that time of year here in New Zealand. Autumn. The death of summer and the beginning of shorter days, cold, wet weather, and the flu season. So far, this season, I've vaccinated hundreds of healthy adults against several strains of influenza including those much publicized "Brisbane Strains".

On my first visit to the doctor after finding out I was pregnant, I asked him what his thoughts on influenza vaccination during pregnancy were - I was surprised to find out he was against it.

Certainly, there is conflicting information out there on whether or not to vaccinate against influenza during pregnancy. One of the main dangers of the flu shot during pregnancy is exposure to a mecury-containing preservative called thimerosal. It is thought that exposure to mercury-containing compounds can cause birth defects when taken in excess. The Centre for Disease Control in America points out that the amount of thimerosal contained in the flu vaccine is very low and the benefits of vaccination outweigh the very small, potential risk of birth defects related to thimerosal. Interestingly, the advice my doctor gave me about abstaining from the vaccine this year had nothing to do about the mercury content and more to do with the views that the threat of flu infection is rare in a normal pregnancy and the lack of evidence of efficacy of the vaccine in pregnant women.

Being a nurse, I know what the benefits of the influenza vaccine are. The primary benefit being greatly reducing your chance of influenza infection and being very ill for many days or, in some cases, weeks, and the possible complications of influenza infection including pneumonia. In pregnancy, a further benefit is immunity being passed on to your newborn.

Each woman, in consultation with her physician, midwife, or obstetrician, will need to weigh the risks and benefits of being vaccinated for influenza. I have decided to hold off on my decision for the moment until I can speak to the midwife who will be following me through the rest of my pregnancy (that and the fact I've a bit of a cold right now...).

If you are looking for more information to arm yourself with before you speak to your medical practitioner, either about getting the vaccine yourself or any members of your family, these links can help (they are all credible sources!)
Mayo Clinic information on Flu Shots in Pregnancy
Medpedia information on Flu Shots in Pregnancy
Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons Critical Analysis of the Flu Shot During Pregnancy
New Zealand National Influenza Strategy Group website
Centre for Disease Control Flu Facts

Happy Birthday

Wishing a very happy birthday to my baby-daddy, husband, and best friend today.

Our baby's birthday is expected to be 10 Oct, 2009.

Want to find out what your due date is? Use this simple due date calculator.

You know you're pregnant when...

To start off, something with a bit of levity.

You know you're pregnant when...

you decide to save time, and just mix dinner and dessert in the same bowl.

you know exactly where all the restrooms are at the local shopping center.

every commercial on tv either makes you sad or hungry.

you use your belly as a resting place for the book you are reading or your cereal bowl.

you can't paint your own toenails any more.

going to the bathroom 15 times a day seems normal.

things that used to smell good make you sick and things you hated before you now bizarrely enjoy.

you get tired an hour after your nap.

(compiled from numerous posts from message boards and other sites, feel free to add your own in a comment and I will edit the post to add it)