Ashni Mita Garyet

Some of you may have noticed that I am a "contributing member" of this blog, but that I haven't actually posted anything yet.  Well, today we remedy that situation.  As my first post, I'd like to announce the birth of our daughter, Ashni Mita Garyet.

For those interested in the technical details, she was born on February 5th, 2013 at 11:09 PM by cesarean birth at St. David's North after a beautiful labor at home.  We made the decision to transfer after hearing some unstable heart tones (dropping heart beat) from little Ashni.  Even so, she was beautifully healthy when born, weighing 7 lbs 15 oz at 20 inches long, and scoring a very healthy 9/10 on her APGAR evaluation.  She was and continues to be incredibly alert and engaged, has the cutest little furry ears and shoulders, and is generally the coolest baby ever.

Subina has frequently written about the support that my parents have given her throughout the pregnancy. Words cannot express how invaluable they were for me during the delivery and I hope that one day I can follow the example that they have set as parents.  They are loving their new granddaughter and are every bit the proud and doting Nana and Papou.

Of course we have a huge story to share, and that will come, but perhaps after we've found some sort of rhythm with this new tiny human in our home. And of course we'll be posting many many more pictures, but again, that will come with time and sleep.

Here are a few of my favorites from my own camera and our amazing wonderful incredible outstanding birth photographer, Summer Miles.  You can see all the photos and read her version of our birth story on her website New Soul Birth Photography.

And just because I'm feeling extra motivated today, here's a video that we shot a few days ago of Baby Ashni with the hiccups.  It literally melts my heart to watch every time.

Expect many more posts to follow in the coming weeks, months, and years.  Maybe someday I'll even write something profound and insightful (as the other author of this blog so frequently does). Perhaps I'll write about the intensity that comes from being a new father as I support my wife and newborn, or how un-American it seems that I am back at work 5 days after the birth of my child, or about my new favorite reference book, The Baby Book by Dr. Sears.  But that is for another time.

For now - first post complete.

Still Cooking

That’s right, I’m still pregnant - 41 weeks along as of yesterday or a total of “8 days late” as of today. Some might think there’s something strange about that, but the reality of the situation is that the average length of a normal healthy pregnancy is actually over 41 weeks for first time mothers. This article about “timely birth” points out how absurd it is that inductions are so prevalent in this country. Obviously there are rare cases when a baby is in danger and needs to be removed, but when the little one is growing and moving and getting everything it needs, intervening unnecessarily can cause a whole host of problems. So, as of this moment, I am choosing to trust my body, my baby, and nature to act properly when the time comes. As with most things in life, being patient and not rushing things yields for better outcomes! Meanwhile, the baby can stay safe and sound in my tummy while everyone else anxiously awaits its arrival.

I’ve heard that some people obsessively check my Facebook page because they don’t want to bother me, but I honestly don’t mind contact from people (so long as it doesn’t involve questions on if/when I’m getting induced or getting a C-section or if I’m having labor pains yet). In fact, isolation would probably drive me crazy right now! It’s not like I’m sick or bedridden! Yes, pregnancy does indeed have its sucky moments, but it isn’t the end of the world and I don’t want it to end my social life. Things would be a lot worse if I wasn’t keeping busy. But at the same time I can admit that this “extended” pregnancy has me getting sick of some things…

1. Comments about my body - I am genuinely tired of hearing what everyone thinks about my pregnant body. Unless it involves words like beautiful, radiant, healthy, gorgeous, sexy, etc., I just don’t need the feedback. I already know my “beer belly” is huge, that I’m about to pop, that it looks like I’m having multiples, that my body will “bounce right back” when the baby comes, and that I’m birthing a basketball. Believe it or not, I’ve actually been hearing it all for several months now…

2. Explaining the safety of home birth - I’m not “brave” for wanting to birth at home. Seriously. Watch The Business of Being Born. Read this article. Laboring women who preemptively do drugs via needles gouged into their spine are way braver than I am.

3. Advice from people who don’t believe in natural birth - I’ve done my research, I know what I want, and I have realistic options for what to do if things can’t go as planned. Please stop trying to stress me out.

4. Not participating in athletic stuff - Sure I can still walk several miles and feel just fine, but I am really itching to do more. I want to ride my bike, go skiing, train for a triathlon, perform with my belly dance troupe, go to power yoga, do core class again, swing on a rope swing, go kayaking, and go rock climbing… this bump keeps getting in the way!

5. Feeling creaky - Pelvic pressure, lower back pain, tight hips, sore legs – I suck it up and live my life but damn it can get annoying!

6. Inferior cuddle time - Snuggling is so much harder with a belly in the way. I love it so much but I can’t do it for very long before getting really uncomfortable.

7. Not being able bend in half or see my toes - Well, it is possible to see them, it just takes some extra effort. As does cutting my toenails, putting on socks and shoes, picking things up off the floor, etc.

8. Stretch marks - I went so long without them. I thought I’d be free and clear. But then in the last few weeks the claw marks started appearing. And despite daily application of cocoa butter, coconut oil, and/or aloe, my skin gets itchy from all the stretching and it is impossible to not wildly scratch at it.

9. Inadequate wardrobe - I never have anything to wear anymore and even some of my maternity clothes are getting too small. When I first bought them, I thought it was strange that some of the shirts had elastic around the bottom. But now I understand. Those shirts actually keep the belly covered instead of hanging off the edge and leaving the entire underside exposed. It’s ingenious really.

10. Being the center of attention - I really loved basking in attention a few months ago, but now I’m about ready for normal treatment and non-pregnancy related conversations.

I could go on with this list but then I’d officially be wallowing. I know everything is going to be worth it in the end. And even now, there is plenty of good stuff outweighing the bad. I just wanted to get this off my chest since it takes a lot of energy to stay positive all the time.

Speaking of positivity, this weekend was actually pretty wonderful. After my prenatal yoga class and massage on Saturday, Chris and I took Pepper to Walnut Creek. The weather was gorgeous and we had a nice leisurely walk on the trail. Afterwards, Chris and I picnicked in our backyard and napped in the sun. That evening, I went to Priya’s house for crafting night with the girls – something I really didn’t think I’d be able to do! Then on Sunday morning, Chris and I went to the pond in our neighborhood to take some pregnancy pictures. While doing so, a woman who was walking by stopped and insisted on taking some pictures of the two of us. Turns out she used to be a photographer and she really missed doing it so we let her give it a go!

 

After our little photo shoot, Chris and I went to Town Lake for our weekly walk/run with his parents followed by a nice brunch. By the time we got home, I was super exhausted and managed to sleep the entire afternoon, but at least the nap left me nice and energized for Josh and Priya’s Super Bowl party! We had a good time catching up with friends and it felt like the weekend went by in no time.

Now I’m back at work, trying not to obsess over the days. I can feel the baby bearing down and I’ve been having menstrual like cramps since Thursday, but I’m not going to count on anything. In the meantime, I’m going to see my midwife twice a week for some heavy baby monitoring. The baby seemed fine for its non-stress test today (NST = evaluating fluctuations in the baby's heart rate in response to its own movements) and we’ll do another one on Thursday if I don’t deliver by then. Come next week, if the baby still isn’t ready, we will do a biophysical profile which will entail our first sonogram. I’m not worried since the baby’s been active, but it’ll still be a good thing to do.

Strangely enough, I didn’t actually feel super ready to give birth these last few weeks, but I’m starting to feel a change now. We’ll see what happens.