Don't believe what anyone tells you!

Hey we made it to 30 weeks today. I went for my much dreaded glucose tolerance test. Everyone told me how disgusting the sugar slurry would be and I was , understandably, grossed out. In fact, I have been more anxious about this test than any reasonable person would believe.
Was it anywhere near that bad? Of course not. It was like drinking an orange drink. Kind of tasty actually, and that's coming from someone that doesn't even drink soda or Snapple. No nausea, no aftertaste, no nada. I waited my hour patiently and had my blood drawn, es todo! I could not believe how many people had told me that this was such a big deal.
Now why do I mention this? I think it is a great example of how everything involved with pregnancy is generally blown out of proportion, exaggerated and fear producing. I, personally, thought that this would be 9 months fraught with vomiting, extreme exhaustion, painful kicks, muscle cramps and sciatica. Not to brag, but I have not thrown up in spite of intermittent GI upset/nausea etc, I have not been so tired that I could not work full time, and to date, I have not had any unusual pains (knock on wood). I have gotten sick more than usual and fiber has become my best friend. Now am I INCREDIBLY lucky? Or is really just the outliers that have major problems? Don't get me wrong, I think some people do have worse symptoms, and maybe they are not taking good enough care of themselves, maybe they are just more sensitive to hormones. But I do think, for the most part, pregnancy gets a bum rap.
The vast majority of people probably have mild symptoms, and no complications. They may blow things out of proportion, they may not. But I hear so many people echoing my initial thoughts about pregnancy I just want to dispel some of the fear and anxiety that women have been insidiously exposed to. Of course it is also a thrilling time when you feel your baby growing inside you!
So if anyone is thinking of getting pregnant and afraid of everything they have heard, forget about it!
Here is my recent belly pic: "30 weeks".

Hasta Luego,
Dr. A

27 weeks, alive and "kickin"!

People really love pregnant. It's been so lovely to have all the good wishes for my baby. I have always smiled at people with children, but I see it starts even earlier. You get smiles just for having a bun in the oven. Of course no one will pay any attention to me after the baby is born so I am soaking it all up now.
My current obsession is childbirth. Originally I was on the "Epidural Fo' Sho' " team. Why suffer needlessly? As I read more and thought more, I decided to try a go at "Natural birth". Now, we are taking a hypnobirth class and I am reading a book by the most famous midwife in the country, Ina May Gaskin. We also watched Ricki Lake's documentary, "The Business of Being Born". The sum total of my reading and studying so far is leading towards one conclusion, it's all about your attitude. Like anything else the mind/body connection is what seems to make or break your childbirth experience, barring unforeseen complications. Assuming all is going well, fear, anxiety and tension will slow you down and make everything more painful, whereas relaxation and confidence in one's body will make childbirth , if not totally comfortable, tolerable and fulfilling. I believe strongly in this since I see it all the time with the kids I take care of at the clinic. When mom says "He's scared, he's going to cry", then of course the baby cries and is scared. He thinks he should be. When women are told "it's going to hurt so bad, you are going to want to die" then of course it hurts so bad they want to die. Or at least have pain medication. If women are told "it's a natural process, our bodies know what to do, there are ways to cope with the contractions so it's not as difficult," then we may be able to sail through it.
Of course, you may say "easy for you to say, you have never done it". But one interesting anecdote has stood out in my mind during all this new learning. When my very intuitive friend was trying to give birth naturally, she was not progressing well and she said to me "I'm being bad, I'm not letting it progress". At the time, I had no idea how she could stop or slow her own labor progress, but everything I have read says that fear will do exactly that. It causes all the muscles to work against one another and not together. I will also say that the institution she was in was not conducive to it and she was not as well prepared as she could have been. Next time she's taking Hypnobirth, if I have anything to say about it!!!
Sooo, when the time comes, which team will I be on? We shall see. I have been to many births, I know how hard it is, and I am not a fool. BUT, I now have some coping skills, I will have even more by the time the next three months are up, I have confidence, and I have a team, (hubby and doula). If I need meds, I need meds, I am not going to deny myself. But maybe... just maybe.. with the right mental preparation, I can put fear aside, and let it go. Besides, my mom did the "Natural Birth" thing 4 decades ago, twice! With 8+ pounders, which makes me think, "if she could do it... I can do it too!" She will be there too, hopefully, unless my baby is an early bird.
Here is a recent belly picture:
Hasta Luego,
Dr. A

20 weeks:Halfway point!!

I know I have not been the best blogger of this pregnancy, but I'm too dang tired! So here is what I look like now, or at least what I looked like a week or two ago:

And here is what our sweet darling girl looks like now:

I still don't feel the movements but I saw her moving on the sonogram. I am so excited now that I saw all her body parts and they are all forming normally.
We have decided on a name preliminarily but I probably shouldn't advertise that, although I am pretty sure no one reads this. And if you do, I probably told you already. Ok? Ok.
I had a little meltdown at work today, hormones plus fatigue helped me to go over the edge. My poor boss, dealing with crazy pregnant lady. Sheesh. It's worth it though, I can't wait to meet my little girl.
Our registry has been started at Amazon.com. They don't have everything but they have more than anyone else. It's just nice to make an organized list of the stuff I need, it is more like a to do list than a "get me presents" list. In fact I don't really want a shower since all my poor friends must be sick of having parties in my honor, after my wedding, bridal shower and bachelorette party. Pregnancy brain is a real thing so anything I can do to remember stuff is helpful. I would think "I need a bather thing, I better write that down.". Now it's all there on the list.
My biggest dilemma is cloth vs disposable diapers. There is a drought in the area so it makes cloth a less good option. Of course the landfills are full of diapers and that's bad too. Six of one, half dozen of another? The most perfect solution would be the service Earth Baby that delivers compostable diapers and then picks them up and composts them into soil. However they do not yet serve Oakland area. Too bad. Because even a "biodegradable" diaper won't degrade in a landfill. Cloth feels better to me, I have to say. I mean, the big wastes of water are usually in manufacturing, and watering the golf courses, etc. I don't think cloth diapers are the main problem. I don't even have a lawn to water.
My other dilemmas involved what type of baby swing to get and what type of breast pump. Much less serious issues to be sure.
I have my book list, Happiest Baby on the Block, Dr. Sears' baby book, Baby language, and Elimination Communication. I am sure there are other good ones that I am missing.
Well I am officially exhausted and I still have to do the dishes, and get ready for bed. Can't WAIT for my Comfort U pillow to arrive in the mail. It was supposed to come already but the UPS site says Monday. One word of advice to pregnant women: don't wait until sleeping becomes uncomfortable to order your huge body pillow. Do it immediately, so you have it when you need it. Which will be sooner than you think!
Dr. Amy

Pregnant!

Ok, for anyone who reads this post and doesn't know I'm pregnant, that's probably because I've been a hermit. Or maybe you have not called me back. But now I'm going public, because I'm out of the notorious "first trimester" and I got my CVS results back. Good news! Normal Baby Girl. At least normal in regards to Down Syndrome and that is the most likely issue at my age.
I am currently 13 weeks. That is my girl up there on the sonogram. I was so anxious about that. On the one hand my maternal instincts were telling me everything was fine, but on the other hand I am a pediatrician and I KNOW all the things that can go wrong and do.

It's been interesting. At my first sonogram (7 weeks by dates) the doctor said the baby looked more like 5 weeks, and there was only a 50/50 chance of viability. There was also a second sac, which was empty, meaning I had two eggs fertilized but one was not successful in becoming a baby. I was a little sad but really, twins? I think it was probably for the best.
At the subsequent sonograms, the baby remained about 12 days behind, so my due date changed from 8/18 to 8/27. However baby is growing so I am happy.
Everything about being pregnant is exactly what they say. The first thing that happens is the constant bathroom breaks. Your bladder wakes you up every two hours at night, right from the outset~ and along with it the incessant thrist. They say you need to drink 8 8oz glasses of water a day. I think I drink that much between 10pm and 6am.
Then, you get really nauseated and yet you are starving at the same time. Something you normally like can disgust you so badly you start wretching. If someone is eating the wrong thing around you, the smell can send you over the edge. I have not gotten weird cravings, but if you want something you really want it and you fantasize about it until you get it, even if it takes weeks.
But fortunately that clears up (at least it did for me, except the cravings) rather quickly. then comes the heartburn and the other GI issues ( I won't go into detail, TMI) but it's pretty much the same for all of us. The one thing I would not have predicted is how much I am showing at such an early stage. I have seen lots of 13 week women that don't show one bit and I am already all maternity clothes all the time. I have also been sick a lot, since the immune system takes a 9 month break to prevent rejection of the little one. That has made it hard to exercise. Therefore I am not sure all the increased weight is due to baby and may be partly cellulite, but it's all good. BabyDaddy thinks I'm more beautiful than ever, so I'm happy to go out and buy myself new clothes! Any excuse to shop is good for me.
Well let me say again, that if you are reading this and you don't already know, I apologize and I hope we get together soon.

Prop 3

A lot of people seem to be confused on Prop 3 (Bond funding for Children's hospitals). The League of Women Voters says to vote Yes , the SF Guardian says to vote No. Although 80% of the money from Prop 3 would go to private hospitals, such as Children's Hospital Oakland, it is still a worthwhile expenditure of public funds. I know that CHO, the hospital I work it, is a major provider of healthcare to the uninsured and underinsured in the Bay Area. We do have an endowment but it is not nearly enough to cover the improvements that need to be made in the structure and facilities of the hospital needed. Also in these tough economic times, it endowments are not reliable. Children's is often not reimbursed for the care it provides, and yet continues to care for patients that cannot pay.
So vote Yes on 3, so we can make our facilities safe from earthquakes for our patients and staff and also so we can update our facilites to make the care of our patients state of the art. Please!

Fear Mongering Schizophrenic campaign

Robo-calls, Palin rallies and TV ads all try to smear Barack Obama's name by associating him with a "washed up terrorist" in McCain's own words. Now although the McCain campaign is actively pursing this mud slinging tactic, when someone at his own rally declares he is afraid of an Obama presidency because he associated with domestic terrorists, McCain tells him that Obama is a decent man and he does not need to be afraid of him, to the round of a booing crowd. Is he schizophrenic? Is he senile? Why is McCain denying what his own campaign is so avidly trying to do: strike unwarranted fear into the hearts of poorly informed, easily swayed, ignorant Americans.
This is not only inaccurate and inappropriate it is highly irrepsonsible and dangerous. Barack Obama, as the first viable African American Candidate for president of the US, is already at a great risk to his life. He was given a secret service escort earlier in his campaign than any presidential candidate in history. Now Palin has people yelling at her rallies "terrorist" and "kill him". In my opinion, this is endangering the life of Obama even further. If anything happens to him, Palin AND McCain should be held accountable. Even Colin Powell has endorsed Senator Obama partly due to this petty and irresponsible campaigning by the McCain camp.
McCain has dug his own grave by aligning himself with George W. Bush, the worst president in American history. His ambition has overtaken his integrity. John McCain has sunk to the lowest common denominator, that of the current administration. Politics above policy. He wants to be president at all costs, including the cost of his own conscience. He is clearly uncomfortable with the turn his own campaign has taken as evidenced by his denial of the claims at his own rallies. He says he is not George Bush but he has made every effort to become just like him, including using the same robo-call tactics against Obama that McCain decried when they were used by Bush against McCain himself.
Fascists over the centuries have used the same fear mongering tactics to rise to power over and over again, but this time it looks like it may backfire against the McCain campaign.
I sincerely hope that Barack Obama landslides to victory on November 4th. I hope that this country sends a message that racism, fear mongering, and mud slinging are not going to be tolerated especially at a time when this country needs policies that work, thoughtful decision making, and a president that puts this country's well being before his/her own political ambitions.

What's wrong with this country?

I need to rant. I never got it fully out of my system with George Bush rigged the election in 2000, or when he rigged the election in 2004. I have a lot of pent up political angst and this is my blog so I am now in a position to air my frustration... here goes..
Why on earth would anyone want John McCain to be our president for the next four years? What can he do for this country? He can take us further into a pointless war that we never should have started. He can get us deeper and deeper in debt. He can squeeze a few drops of oil out of Alaska's protected off shore sites, to avert the impending energy crisis for a day or two. He could die and leave Sarah Palin in charge of us, who has been shown to be a liar, a flip-flopper, and, gee, where DID all the money for the darn bridge wind up? Sarah has made sure that women who are raped in Alaska pay for the rape kit that is used in the Emergency Room. She wants those same women to carry their fetus to term if the rapist impregnates them. (She didn't even know what the Bush Doctrine is-and neither did I, but I am not running for Vice President). So I ask you what McCain can do for this country? At BEST he can live for four more years. At worst he can contribute further to the total demise of the United States of America that is already well underway, politically, financially and possibly literally.
Will John McCain provide universal health care? No. Now for anyone who thinks this does not apply to them, since they HAVE health insurance, let me give you a little scenario that happens every single day... you have a job, you get sick, you cannot work, you lose said job, then guess what? No more insurance. You figure, ok, I can pay for health insurance and then guess what? No one will insure you because you have a "pre-existing condition". So you use every penny you have for health care until you are homeless and piss poor and qualify for government health insurance. So I ask you.. why not just provide the insurance, without forcing someone to become a welfare/SSI recipient for the rest of his/her life?
Will John McCain protect our social security? It appears to me that John McCain is a big fan of investing MY social security in the stock market. Last time I checked the stock market was a big brown grizzly bear. No thank you!!!
Will John McCain stem global warming? Certainly not, and especially not if Sarah Palin has anything to do with it. She, like her possible predecessor, GWB, does not believe that the climate crisis is a man made phenomenon. Just what we need!!! Another 4-8 years of heads in the sand. So then, no reason to find sustainable sources of energy, move to hybrid or electric cars, or conserve. Just "Drill, Baby, Drill".
So why support John McCain? I would guess because one is strongly Anti-Choice to the point that not even women who become impregnated by a rape or incest event will be allowed to terminate their own pregnancy. See, because Sarah Palin's 17 year old daughter got herself knocked up and opted to keep it. Wait rewind, she OPTED to keep it. She had a CHOICE. How about that? Ok, and how is a pregnant 17 year old a good thing? Granted 17 year olds can be great moms, but aren't the same people who are against abortion, also against pre-marital sex? hmmmmmm. And abortion is really basically a women's HEALTH issue. When abortion is illegal, women die from infections that are introduced by the hangers they use to terminate their own preganancy or back alley "doctors" use for this purpose. And of course it will be the poor and disenfranchised women who are hit the hardest.


On the other hand, there is Barack Obama.
Will Barack Obama push for universal health care? YES!
Will Barack Obama push for this country to change to renewable Energy sources? YES!
Will Barack Obama close the corporate loopholes so that they actually have to pay taxes on their billions of dollars? YES!
Will Barack Obama move to end this useless repeat of Vietnam so our and Iraq's citizens can stop dying and we can stop accruing this ridiculous debt? YES!
Will Barack Obama pander shamelessly to lobbyists the way the Bush administration has done? NO!!!
Will Barack Obam make gay and abortion rights a priority? YES! (this is clearly abhorrent to some people who can't understand why people want to have choices about who they love and what they do with their own bodies)

I guess I have answered my own question. It must be all about wanting to impose one's sense of morality and one's own personal choices on the rest of us. Because it can't possibly be about what is good for the people of this country and what makes sense poltically, economically, socially and environmentally. No, the choice for anyone who cares about their country, their neighbors, their health and the world is clear.
Ok, I'm done now!