Being in the Know

I just realized this weekend that I don’t know anything about pregnancy. I thought I was getting a lot of good information from the various websites I’ve been visiting but I was proved very wrong. It was like meeting your classmates for coffee and everyone has an armful of books to study for the exam and you have an index card with a few bulleted points. Oh crap! We have to know what?!?! Or to put it in theatre terms, “Off book was today?!?!”

So, shame on me. I haven’t made huge mistakes but there are several things I had not been made aware of such as various dietary supplements that are important and certain common food ingredients to avoid and the list goes on. I was avoiding alcohol, cocaine, lead paint chips, and caffeine. I thought I was doing pretty well. Unfortunately, my pretty well is more like a C+.

I have invested in a small library of used books that are on their way to my house in 4-14 days (side note, what kind of estimated arrival is that? I would rather them just say “it will get there sometime before you’re no longer pregnant”. Ok, back to the point.) Using the advice of many friends I have selected 5 books to start with. I’m getting the book What To Expect When You’re Expecting, which apparently is the first book you should ever get when you find out you’re pregnant. I had no idea. I must have been throwing up in the bathroom when they made that announcement. I also got two supplemental books that go along with it. One is a journal type workbook and the other is a book especially dedicated to what you should be eating. The last two I got are Ina Mays Guide to Childbirth and Childbirth Without Fear. I hope the last two will help reassure my decision for a natural birth. I wonder if they come with war paint…

I’m excited about my new library and I can’t wait to catch up on the reading I probably should have been doing for the last 3 weeks. I am already mentally preparing myself for what I will be reading (and for the diagrams. Oh the diagrams…) I’m going to be such a smart mommy in 4-14 days.

I will be switching doctors in the next two weeks and I couldn’t be happier. I am tired of being treated like I have a disease called pregnancy. I want a doctor to care about me and my baby and be happy. I feel like I am discussing cancer treatments when I go for my OB visits. Boo to them. There is an awesome midwifery center here that is attached to a hospital and I’ve had several friends give birth there. I always hear such good things and I am looking forward to meeting the midwives. I’m sure I’ll post about it when I do.

I hope you had a wonderful Valentine’s Day! Blueberry particularly enjoyed the strawberries and sparkling cider.