Full Belly

Gus was bullying me at work today because I had a cookie (milkbone) on my desk that he smelled. This is a picture of him trying to get me to give it to him. He nuzzled his way between my arm and my belly, peeking through to get my attention.

In other belly news, today I felt my first rib kick. I was sitting still. Working at my computer when I felt a sharp pinch, kind of a splinter in my rib area- felt all the way towards my back. It startled me and I immediately moved to try to ease the stitch. Then I realized that it must have been Bambina kicking me in my ribcage.

All this time I've felt her in my lower abdomen, moving or hiccuping vibrations felt by my belly button and even slightly above that. But I had never experienced a noticeable kick anywhere close to my ribs.

In the past 2 weeks I've noticed that the Braxton Hicks contractions have been occurring more frequently and lasting for longer periods of time. Braxton Hicks, or as Colin calls them 'Toni Braxtons', are practice contractions that my body is giving me to warm you up for labor. Some mom's may feel these around the 6th or 7th month. I feel a tightening up of my uterus and I can actually see my belly tighten up. When my belly is tight, it's really hard- like as hard as a volley ball. I also usually feel a B.H. contraction more noticeably when I have a full bladder- and then I have to go pee more frequently.

This week I ordered two more books to prepare for labor: The Birth Partner Book (and I'm having Colin do his reading with this book as much as possible) and Natural Childbirth The Bradley Way (I think a lot of the descriptions and poses through the various stages in childbirth - and there are three stages- are helpful for me to know). These compliment the other book I am reading right now called Ina May's Guide to Childbirth (which provides a midwifery approach to preparing for childbirth).

As much as one could argue that you can raise a baby with or without the baby books ('women have been giving birth for centuries without baby books!') I think that positive reinforcement of confidence and education about medical and physiological changes that I've never experienced before is so interesting. I see these books more as aids, as if I were reading stories from other women's birth experiences, rather than long lists of things NOT to do or facts that are meant to scare me about the birthing process. I'm really embracing being pregnant, getting mentally and physically ready for the birth of our baby girl, and I have enjoyed learning all I've read about so far. I look forward to having the same kind of attitude about childbirth AFTER Bambina is born as I did before she was born, and that is: I'd definitely do this again.