It's Called a Braxton What?

twenty-two weeks yesterday, and understanding more and more what being pregnant is truly all about.

it's been a few weeks off of the blog, more due to the fact that i believe God deserved my time more than a blog. i have spent much more time focusing on Him, as i have come to the conclusion that i rely on people more than i rely on Him. which is something i mean to change.

during the past two weeks i have discovered a few fascinating things about pregnancy.

hiccups.

mister Jarred Christopher has the hiccups... a lot. i'm sure he started this habit long before i could feel him jump inside me, but now it's pretty constant. at least once a day, but most days its about three times i feel the fluttery jump about every 5 seconds which lasts for about 5 to 10 minutes. i myself dislike having the hiccups, so i feel for peanut as he has them so frequently, must get quite irritating. but being the one who doesn't own an ultrasound machine to check on her little one constantly, it's a comfort to feel the jumping inside. it's like he's telling me that he's growing healthy and doing his best to make sure his body is prepared to face a world with air.

(the every annoying) braxton hicks contractions

when i experienced my first, i was frustrated at the idea of having a contraction so far from labor. i still had 19 weeks of pre-labor, why in the world would i be practicing NOW?! so me being me, i did some research and discovered something truly amazing! 

okay during labor, a woman gets to a point where she gets the urge to "push." (except for those who have the needle in their back, which i will go more into later) now, this "pushing" does not refer to the ever daily bowel movements one might have to work out. no, this "pushing" is using a muscle known only to a pregnant woman. in fact until pregnancy this muscle doesn't truly exist. the uterus, starting in about the sixth week of pregnancy, starts to contract and work out the thick balloon-like material. in the process of this work out (braxton hicks) the labor muscle is formed. as the pregnancy matures the contractions move closer to the top of the uterus, focusing the muscle there in preparation of the "pushing" i refered to. 

isn't that awesome! God created a woman's body, my body, to know exactly what to do, regardless of me being aware that it's doing so! and when we (women in labor) feel that urge to "push" we will innately know how to use this newly formed muscle to the best of it's abilities! i'm so baffled at the work of our Creator! 

waterbirth.

another discovery, though i've known about it since about the 12th week of pregnancy, i have done my research throughly in the past two weeks. this concept of birthing a child in a tub of water, is said to be one of the most relaxing and comforting birthing choices. i must admit i had my doubts, so i looked for the risk factors of waterbirths. there are only a few: mother getting water into her blood stream (very rare), baby's first breath being under the water (again, very rare due to the fact that the baby doesn't get the urge to take a breath until the umbilical cord touches air and at that point the babe is either in the arms of the doctor or the mother). those were the two of most concern. the pros to this process are very extensive and continue to grow the more popular it becomes. the idea of being in a warm bath (which relaxes me) having music and candles (more that relaxes me) and feeling more in control of my body (if i need to move to find comfort during labor, i can adjust my self and not rely on another person to help me move). 

 also, because i am baring a burrell son, we all know he will be a bath boy, so might as well bring him into this world in the place where his father, uncle, papa, and who knows how far back the "bath-boy-burrells" go. it only seems fit. (those who know my husband understand this. those who don't, well to enlighten you, my husband would take 3 baths a day, yes in the bath tub.)

at this point in time i have also done my research on pain meds one can take during labor to ease the discomfort of the process. but when i realized that some of these medications take away the actual process of birthing a child, the more i realize that i don't want them. now i do believe that i have mentioned this in previous blogs, the fact that i dislike pain and can be often refered to as "whimpy" (much to my dismay). but having a baby isn't like falling down, or braking a bone. it's the most amazing gift God has given to woman. the pregnancy as a whole, i want to experience it. yes even the pain of birth. i want to experience it. there will be no needle in my back to dull the pain. at the most i will have demerol drug to take the edge off. i want to experience the God given process of bringing my son into the world. 

i am discussing this with my doctor this coming tuesday. we will find out if this is in fact something that will be possible to do. at this point it is my first choice.