Eek!
I discovered my First Stretch Mark this morning! Actually, I first noticed it yesterday morning, but wasn’t sure that’s what it was. When I looked again today, it was still there and it’s definitely a stretch mark. It’s a tiny purple line less than a quarter of an inch long, to the right of my belly, so perhaps I should not worry too much. It doesn’t look like much of anything in comparison to the white stretch marks that linger from when my hips exploded in puberty. But I put extra cocoa butter on this morning, just to make myself feel like I was doing something.
We also had our first Childbirth Class last night. It was okay, although there were a lot of “hick” seeming guys in there for some reason. I think the stereotype of North Austinites vs. South Austinites holds true. And I got annoyed with people who would ask questions to which she had just given the answer and I guess they weren’t listening. Or questions to which they already should know the answer if they’d read absolutely anything about pregnancy. But a lot of it was really informative. And of course we watched The Video. For some reason, it looked like it was made in the 70’s with a bunch of poorly dressed hippie women and their really geeky husbands. I guess no one else would be insane enough to allow someone to film their birth. It was okay, although there were some parts we snickered at, until we got to “The Moment”. There was no warning or anything, suddenly there it was! We all made horrible gasps and I think I heard at least one “Oh My God.” I guess we all knew this was coming, I mean we figured out how to get the baby in there, we had to know it needed to come out, but wow, that was a bit shocking. Although it was also funny because the woman giving birth said, “that doesn’t look like a baby!” WARNING: THIS PART GETS KIND OF GRAPHIC SO YOU MAY WANT TO SKIP. Then they showed the placenta being delivered, which, honestly, I’m feeling light-headed just thinking about right now. See, I get sick at the sight of blood. And there was LOTS OF BLOOD and then the doctor put the placenta on a table and started poking at it. It was totally gross. I had to close my eyes and start fanning myself to keep from fainting. I will definitely not watch that part again. I mean, ewww. OH, and the faces the women made! Think the worst O-face x 10,000! No one is getting anywhere near me with any sort of photographic device during the entire process. I think this video was made by the epidural companies to sell you on epidurals because, let me tell you, if you had any doubts about getting shot up with pelvis numbing goodness before watching this video, they had completely evaporated afterwards!
Comments
Ashmita
2006-02-10T19:01:34.000Z
I didn’t even feel or see the placenta coming out (this was without numbing drugs too) nor did I see it get poked at. In fact I didnt see it at all ever and I dont think Travis did either. We were too enthralled with the mewling creature in my arms. Honestly I dont remember seeing much blood at all.
It was towards the very end that all my stretch marks showed up and just a few months later they are already fading.
kelli
2006-02-10T21:19:30.000Z
Most hospitals won’t let you take pictures of the actual birth even if you want to, so don’t worry about that. And you won’t see the placenta or any of that stuff unless you keep a mirror there. Which I DO NOT recommend.
The part that felt the strangest to me was the moment when all of her actually came out. Have you ever dumped out a bowl of Jello? That kind of wiggly, splatty thing? It sort of felt like that, and I could actually feel my internal organs moving back where they belonged. Very weird.
Take drugs. Then it won’t hurt. You’ll do fine. :)
Marsha
2006-02-11T14:54:29.000Z
I actually asked to see my placenta. The midwife brought it over and showed it to us. Then she offered to let us take it home. David and I sat in confused silence for a moment. David asked, “Why would we want to do that?” Midwife explained lots of parents bury it in the backyard and plant a tree over it to commemorate the baby’s birth. More stunned silence on our part. Then David said, “Uh, no. That’s just weird.” Course I realize now that a placenta would be kick ass fertilizer for a baby tree. But still. Not carting home the placenta. Just not doing it.
