This will probably get me into some trouble...

First, let me clarify that I did not write this. I did come across it online though, and I was so struck by the sheer awesomeness of it that I had to share.

Dear Non-Pregnant Person,

I hope you find these guidelines helpful in your interactions with pregnant women as failing to follow them may result in serious physical harm. If you are thinking "Surely she doesn't mean me!" then you should probably read this twice.

1) The appropriate response to a couple telling you they are having a baby is "Congratulations!" with enthusiasm. Any other response makes you rude.

2) Through the wonders of science, we now know that babies are made ONLY by the mother and father. Unless the baby is in your uterus or you are the man that helped put it there, you may not ever use the phrases "my baby" our "our baby".

3) On the same note, unless you made the baby as defined in 2, the pregnancy, birth and raising of the child are not about you. You do not have input. No one wants to hear your opinion unless they ask for it. The same goes for the naming of the baby.


4) The body of a pregnant woman should be treated the same as any other body. You would not randomly touch someone's stomach if they were not pregnant, nor would you inquire into the condition of their uterus, cervix or how they plan to use their breasts. Pregnancy does not remove all traces of privacy from a woman.

5) Likewise, no woman wants to hear comments on her weight - ever. A pregnant woman does not find it flattering that you think she is about is pop, must be having twins, looks swollen or has gained weight in her face. Telling her she looks too small only makes her worry that she is somehow starving her baby. Making such comments invite her to critique your physical appearance and you may not act offended. The only acceptable comment on appearance is "You look fabulous!"

6) There is a reason that tickets to L&D are not yet sold on Ticketmaster. Childbirth is actually not a public event. It may sound crazy, but some women really do not relish the idea of their mother, mother-in-law or a host of other family members seeing their bare butt and genitals. Also, some people simply feel like the birth of their child is a private and emotional moment to be shared only by the parents. Like everything else in life, unless you receive an invitation, you are NOT invited. This includes doctor appointments, ultrasounds, labor, delivery, the hospital and the parents home. You do not decide if you will be there for the birth or if you will move in with the new parents to "help out". If your assistance is desired, rest assured that you will be asked for it.

7) If you are asked to help after the birth, this means you should clean up the house, help with cooking meals and generally stay out of the way. Holding the baby more than the parents, interfering with breastfeeding and sleeping schedules and making a woman who is still leaking fluid from multiple locations lift a finger in housework is not helping.

8) The only people entitled to time with the baby are the parents. Whether they choose to have you at the hospital for the birth or ask for you to wait three weeks to visit, appreciate that you are being given the privilege of seeing their child. Complaining or showing disappointment only encourages the parents to include you less.


Sincerely,


All Pregnant Women

39 Weeks

At 39 weeks Isabella's growth has likely slowed, or possibly even been put on hiatus until after birth. Babies weigh an average of 7-8 pounds at birth and usually measure between 19-21 inches in length.

Nothing new to report around here.

38 weeks

At 38 weeks Isabella should weigh about 7 lbs and could be about 20 inches long. I was planning on asking my doctor for an estimate of her size at my next appointment, but someone told me yesterday that she thought Isabella would be pretty big. Now, I think maybe I'd rather be surprised. We'll just wait and see. Check out the baby pool at the right and let us know when you think Isabella will make her grand appearance.

I finally got around to taking some photos of the house this past week. Check them out here.

Shawn M. Cain, March 18, 1984 - July 15, 2009

This week we lost a dear friend long before his time. Shawn was a fun-loving soul with a contagious laugh, and he could always be counted on for a good time. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family during this very difficult time.


Rest in Peace, Hippy. You are forever missed.

37 weeks

We made it to full-term! At this point, Isabella is fully developed for life on the outside so if labor were to begin there would be no efforts to stop it. Unfortunately, I think someone forgot to tell her that as it doesn't appear she's ready to come out anytime soon. Just as well, I'd rather her stay in there a couple more weeks anyway. Even though she's full-term now, her lungs will continue to develop a bit if she stays in there as will her immunity. Babies weigh an average of 6 1/2 pounds at this point.

3 weeks until my due date

36 weeks

By now Isabella should be weighing about 6 pounds. She's still head down, but that's about it.

I've made great progress on my list of things to by for baby. In fact, I have all the baby necessities crossed off my list. I'm now working on things I'll need for the hospital and postpartum, but even that is pretty well taken care of at this point. I even packed our bags for the hospital yesterday. At this point the only absolute must we still need to buy before the birth is a breast pump. Of course, I don't plan on giving her a bottle for quite a while and will instead nurse exclusively. It will be nice to have one on hand in case any problems arise though.

The Countdown
1 week to full-term
4 weeks to due date